What is a TACAMO plane?
What is a TACAMO plane?
The E-6 is a derivative of the commercial Boeing 707 aircraft. Its a long range, air refuelable aircraft equipped with four CFM-56-2A-2 high bypass ratio fan/jet engines with thrust reversers. The weapon system is electromagnetic pulse hardened.
How many E-6B are there?
16 E-6B
The U.S. Navy operates 16 E-6B Mercurys, upgraded to the -B configuration in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The upgrade expanded the E-6B’s mission to include issuing launch orders to America’s fleet of 400 land-based ICBMs. A E-6B Mercury flying over the Midwest at the time of writing.
What is an E-6 plane?
The Boeing E-6 Mercury is a command post and communications relay aircraft manufactured by Boeing for the US Navy. The aircraft relays communications for ballistic missile submarine forces and provides airborne command and control for strategic forces. The Navy introduced the E-6 to replace its EC-130Q aircraft.
Where are e6 stationed?
Tinker Air Force Base
The E-6 fleet is based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and operated by Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 3 (VQ-3), VQ-4, and VQ-7.
What is an e 68 Mercury?
The Boeing E-6 Mercury (formerly Hermes) is an airborne command post and communications relay based on the Boeing 707. The original E-6A manufactured by Boeing’s defense division entered service with the United States Navy in July 1989, replacing the EC-130Q.
Can Air Force One survive a nuke?
The $223 million militarized Boeing 747 is designed to survive a nuclear blast and would become the command and control center for the US military’s most senior officials, including the US President, Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
What was the purpose of the Boeing E-6 TACAMO?
Boeing delivered a total of 16 E-6 “survivable airborne communication system” airplanes to the Navy from 1989 to 1992. The TACAMO airplanes support the Navy’s ballistic missile submarine force, providing a vital link to the force from national command authorities.
Where does the Navy use the E-6 aircraft?
The aircraft is deployed in TACAMO missions. TACAMO connects the National Command Authority with naval ballistic missile forces during emergency operations. The E-6 provides uninterrupted airborne alert coverage of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The E-6 is derived from the Boeing 707-320 commercial airliner.
What does the E-6 Mercury do in TACAMO?
In the TACAMO role, the E-6 flies independent random operations from various deployed sites for approximately 15 day intervals. Each deployed crew will be self-supporting except for fuel and perishables. The mission requires a 24 hour commitment of resources (alert posture) in the Atlantic and Pacific regions.
What kind of antenna does a TACAMO E-6B have?
The TACAMO E-6B airplanes are equipped with dual trailing wires that serve as transmitter and antenna, transmitting in the very low frequency spectrum.