E-6 Mercury
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E-6 Mercury | |
---|---|
A United States Navy E-6B at RAF Mildenhall in 2001. |
|
Description | |
Role | |
Crew | 22 |
Dimensions | |
Length | 45.8 m |
Wingspan | 45.2 m |
Height | 12.9 m |
Wing area | |
Weights | |
Empty | |
Loaded | 154,400 kg |
Maximum take-off | |
Powerplant | |
Engines | Four CFMI CFM-56-2A-2 high-bypass turbofans |
Power | |
Performance | |
Maximum speed | 960 km/h |
Combat range | |
Ferry range | |
Service ceiling | 12,200 m |
Rate of climb | |
Armament | |
Guns | |
Bombs |
The Boeing E-6 Mercury is a United States of America military aircraft. It operates as an airborne command post and communications centre, relaying instructions from the National Command Authority. Its role in relaying to the fleet ballistic missile submarines gives it the suffix TACAMO ("Take Charge and Move Out").
Like the E-3 Sentry AWACS, the E-6 Mecury is adapted from Boeing's 707-300 commercial airliner. Only one version of the E-6 currently exists, the E-6B. The E-6B is an upgraded version of the E-6A that now includes a battlestaff area for the USSTRATCOM Airborne Command Post and new the flight deck systems replacing the aging 1970s-style cockpit with an off-the-shelf 737 Next Generation cockpit. This greatly increases the situational awareness of the pilot and saves significant cost over a custom avionics package.
The E-6A was designed to replace the EC-130 and was accepted by the US Navy in August 1989, sixteen were delivered up to 1992. The first E-6B was accepted in December 1997 and the entire E-6 fleet was modified to the E-6B standard, with the final delivery taking place on December 1, 2006.[1]
E-6B
- Height: 12.9 m
- Weight: (Maximum) 154,400 kg
- Range: 12,144 km, with 6 hours loiter time
- Cost: $141.7 million
[edit] Operators
[edit] External links
- E-6 MERCURY (TACAMO) at FAS website
[edit] Related content
Designation sequence
E-3 - E-4 - E-5 - E-6 - E-7 - E-8 - E-9
Related lists
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