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A U.S. Navy Boeing E-6B Mercury airborne command post flies over Solomons Island, Maryland, on November 15, 2014. Photo by U.S. Navy |
By James LaPorta | Nov. 17, 2017 at 3:13 PM
Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Rockwell Collins Inc. was awarded more than $12.7 million to upgrade communication systems on the U.S. Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft., which has the ability for command and control authority to launch land and sea based nuclear ballistic missiles.
The deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is under a firm-fixed-price contract, meaning the $12.7 million dollar price tag for technology upgrades will not be adjusted for the benefit of Rockwell Collins if potential additional costs are accumulated while executing the contract.
The Pentagon says the contract will "exercise an option for the installation of Block I/Internet Protocol Bandwidth Expansion Phase 3/Block IA Very Low Transmit Terminal/Nuclear Planning and Execution System kit on one E-6B aircraft."
Moreover, the contract will provide additional support services to the U.S. Navy such as field support engineering and training.
The installation of the new technology will be performed in Oklahoma City, Okla., and in Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2019.
Officials say U.S. Navy aircraft procurement funds from fiscal year 2018 in the amount of more than $12.7 million will be obligated at the time of award, which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
E-6B MERCURY AIRBORNE COMMAND POST
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E-6A - hiveminer.com Description 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, Oklahoma to meet these requirements.  E-6A - theaviationgeekclub.com Background 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") 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 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 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. 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 was completely modified to the E-6B configuration in 2003. Source: navy.mil  E-6A - hiveminer.com Similar to the civilian Boeing 707 but with a 737 cockpit, E-6s have a range of 5,500 miles, and accommodate 23 crew members.  E-6A cockpit - military.com It can perform the so-called Looking Glass mission (mirroring the ground-based C3 center at Offutt AFB and relaying orders), it can talk to submarines trailing a 26,000 ft wire antenna, it can launch commands to ICBMs (InterContinental Ballistic Missiles) via Airborne Launch Control System, and can perform C3 (Command Control Communication) operations to forces operating in theatre. EAMs (Emergency Action Messages) are frequently picked up by amateur radio enthusiasts. Here's one uploaded to YouTube: When stealth bombers are launched on a round-trip, Global Strike mission across the globe, an E-6 or two (with the second acting as back up) is used to provide command and control support to the B-2s. Source: theaviationist.com  Source: navy.mil |