Function: Communications relay and strategic airborne command post aircraft. Provides survivable, reliable, and endurable airborne command, control, and communications between the National Command Authority (NCA) and U.S. strategic and non-strategic forces. Two squadrons, the "Ironmen" of VQ-3 and the "Shadows" of VQ-4 deploy more than 20 aircrews from Tinker Air Force Base, OK to meet these requirements.







History: The Navy accepted the first E-6A in August 1989. The E-6B was conceived as a replacement for the Air Force's Airborne Command Post due to the age of the EC-135 fleet. The first E-6B aircraft was accepted in December 1997 and the E-6B assumed its dual operational mission in October 1998. The E-6 fleet will be completely modified to the E-6B configuration by the year 2003.







Description: Boeing derived the E-6A from its commercial 707 to replace the aging EC-130Q in the performance of the Navy's TACAMO ("Take Charge and Move Out&quot mission. TACAMO links the NCA with naval ballistic missile forces during times of crisis. The aircraft carries a very low frequency communication system with dual trailing wire antennas. The E-6B modified an E-6A by adding battlestaff positions and other specialized equipment. The E-6B is a dual-mission aircraft capable of fulfilling either the E-6A mission or the airborne strategic command post mission and is equipped with an airborne launch control system (ALCS). The ALCS is capable of launching U.S. land based intercontinental ballistic missiles.







General Characteristics, E-6 Mercury





Contractor:

The Boeing Co.







Unit Cost:

$141.7 million







Power Plant:

Four CFM-56-2A-2 high bypass turbofans







Length:

150 feet, 4 inches (45.8 meters)







Height:

42 feet 5 inches (12.9 meters)







Wingspan:

148 feet, 4 inches (45.2 meters)













Maximum Take-off Weight:

342,000 pounds (154,400 kilograms)







Speed:

522 knots (600 mph, 960 kmh)







Ceiling:

Above 40,000 feet







Crew:

14 (A model), 22 (B model)







Range:

6,600 nautical miles (7,590 statute miles, 12,144 km) with six hours loiter time







Date Deployed:

January 1980