Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, has been awarded a $20.3-million contract to modernize the US Navy’s E-6B Mercury airborne command post and communications relay aircraft. The E-6B serves as the navy’s primary TACAMO (Take Charge and Move Out) platform, ensuring uninterrupted command-and-control links during major conflicts or nuclear contingencies.
The contract covers the delivery of three full-rate production High-Power Transmit Set Modernization (HPTS-M) kits, designed to significantly enhance the aircraft’s strategic communications capabilities. The upgrades will replace aging transmitters and radios, providing more reliable, continuous connectivity between senior US government leaders and military forces operating worldwide.
Although technical specifications of the new systems were not disclosed, a 2024 Department of Defense pre-solicitation notice identified Collins Aerospace as the only qualified source capable of meeting the program’s requirements. Work will be carried out at Collins’ facility in Richardson, Texas, with completion scheduled by June 2027 under the oversight of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland.
The award coincides with broader efforts to sustain and transition the navy’s airborne nuclear command mission. In 2025, the US Navy expanded its E-6B pilot training program in Oklahoma, where most Mercury aircraft are based. At the same time, the service confirmed the future E-130J—derived from the C-130J-30 Super Hercules—as the next-generation TACAMO platform, with nine aircraft planned by 2028.
