PATUXENT RIVER, Md –
The Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office and Strategic Communications Wing 1 (SCW-1) announced Oct. 21, 2024, the name selected for the Navy’s new Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission aircraft: E-130J.
The E-130J—previously called the E-XX while awaiting naming—will relieve the Navy’s E-6B Mercury fleet of the TACAMO mission, which connects the president, secretary of defense and U.S. Strategic Command with naval ballistic missile forces.
E-130J is the aircraft’s mission design series. The E stands for special electronic installation; 130 is the design number and reflects the aircraft’s origins as the EC-130; and J is the series, demonstrating that it will be modified from a proven C-130J-30 Super Hercules airframe. The common name—e.g., Mercury—has not been selected.
At the request of the program office, the Air Force approved the MDS in October. The Air Force approves all military aircraft names.
The program office is procuring the E-130J through the TACAMO Recapitalization Program. The solicitation, which closed in April 2024, is for a prime contractor to integrate TACAMO mission systems, including the Collins Aerospace Very Low Frequency subsystem, into government-furnished C-130J-30 aircraft.
“I am proud to announce that the U.S. Navy’s new TACAMO aircraft will be the E-130J,” said Program Manager Capt. Adam Scott. “This is an important milestone as we work toward delivering the next generation of TACAMO aircraft to the warfighter.”
Those warfighters are the SCW-1 squadrons, based out of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. They include the “Ironmen” of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 3, “Shadows” of VQ-4 and “Roughnecks” of VQ-7.
“I’m excited as SCW-1 continues to work together with [the program office] to deliver new capabilities and strengthen America’s nuclear deterrence,” said SCW-1 Commander Capt. Britt Windeler. “The E-130J will assure that our nation’s leadership maintains control of its strategic forces as the E-6B gets closer to end of life, and enable it to focus on the performance of other critical missions until sundown.”
The E-6B Mercury is a communications relay and strategic airborne command post aircraft. It provides survivable, reliable and endurable airborne Nuclear Command, Control and Communications for the president, secretary of defense and U.S. Strategic Command.
The Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office is part of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and headquartered at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Its mission is to deliver and support survivable, reliable and endurable airborne command, control and communications for the president, secretary of defense and U.S. Strategic Command.
The mission of SCW-1 is to receive, verify and retransmit Emergency Action Messages to U.S. strategic forces.
