T
he E-6B is aptly named after
the Roman deity Mercury, the
‘messenger of the gods’ – given
the importance of its mission as
a dual-mission communications relay and
strategic airborne command post aircraft.
It provides a survivable, reliable
and airborne command, control and
communications (C3) link between the US
National Command Authority (NCA) and
US strategic and non-strategic forces – as
well as conducting very low frequency
(VLF) emergency communications and the
US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM)
airborne command post mission, giving
the Commander, USSTRATCOM, the
C3 capability required to direct strategic
nuclear forces.
The US Navy selected the Boeing 707-
320B as the winner of its ECX programme
in April 1983 and assigned the designation
E-6A, Boeing receiving $34m to build a
prototype in May 1983; assembly began in
December 1985. Production of 15 additional
aircraft followed, with the rst two production
examples being funded in scal year 1986.
Three were allotted to scal years 1987 and
1988 with seven approved in 1989.The jet was intended as a replacement
for the US Navy’s Lockheed EC-130Q, which
was ful lling the Take Charge and Move Out
(TACAMO) mission, providing a link between
the NCA and the US Navy’s nuclear-
powered ballistic missile submarine eet
using airborne very low frequency (AVLF)
communications systems.
The concept was rst tested on Lockheed
NC-121K BuNo 137889, and US Marine
Corps KC-130F BuNo 149806 served as
the prototype for the Hercules installation.
The role was developed in secret, starting
in 1961. Feasibility tests carried out by
Naval Air Development Center (NADC)
Warminster, Pennsylvania, were completed
the following year.
The roots of the TACAMO name can,
it’s said, be traced to July 1963 when the
director of naval communications issued
a memo stating, ‘Take Charge and Move
Out’ and approved the development of the
communications system.
The Mercury was the third type to
perform the TACAMO mission, following the
C/EC-130G and EC-130Q variants of the
Hercules. The task was rst undertaken
by four C-130Gs which, entering service inDecember 1963, subsequently adopted the
EC-130G designation in July 1968.
Whereas the EC-130G used a roll-on,
roll-off TACAMO II system, the TACAMO
III equipment, and later TACAMO IV, was
permanently installed in the 18 EC-130Qs,
which began entering service in 1966.
The C-130G was originally elded by
detachments of eet logistics support
squadrons VR-21 (later early warning
reconnaissance squadron VW-1) and VR-1
in the Paci c and Atlantic respectively.
The task was later assigned to Fleet Air
Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-3 Ironmen
on Guam and VQ-4 Shadows at NAS
Patuxent River, Maryland, when the two
units formed in July 1968.ROLL-OUT
The rst E-6A rolled out at Boeing’s Renton
facility in Washington state on December
18, 1986 and ew to Boeing Field two
months later, where mission systems were
installed. The new type began replacing
EC-130Qs on August 3, 1989 when VQ-3
received its rst two jets. Although initially
named Hermes after the ancient Greeks’
‘messenger of the gods’, its name wasE- 6B MERCURY
MESSENGER OF THE GODS
he E-6B is aptly named afterThe US Navy’s E-6B Mercury is a vital part of America’s strategic forces.
Tom Kaminski assesses its development and roles.
64 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2018