Strategic Command Admiral Praises Navy’s Choice of C-130J for TACAMO Mission
Posted on January 5, 2021 by Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor
ARLINGTON, Va. — The admiral in charge of the nation’s strategic nuclear deterrent forces has praised the Navy’s decision to acquire the C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft as a platform for communicating with its deployed ballistic-missile submarine force. Four decades ago, the Navy was using earlier C-130 versions — built by Lockheed — for the same mission.
“The Navy is fully capable of supporting my mission requirements to ensure survivable communications to the ballistic-missile submarines and I think they’re making a great decision to go to the C-130,†said Adm. Charles Richard, commander, U.S. Strategic Command, speaking in a Jan. 5 webinar to the Defense Writers Group, in response to a reporter’s question.
The communications role is called TACAMO by the Navy — a term meaning “Take Charge and Move Out†— has been performed for three decades by the service’s Boeing E-6 Mercury aircraft, a variant of the Boeing 707 airliner. After the Cold War, the Airborne National Command Post role previously performed by Air Force EC-135 “Looking Glass†aircraft was incorporated into the E-6 with the installation of the Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS), combining the TACAMO and ALCS in one platform.
https://seapowermagazine.org/strategic-command-admiral-praises-navys-choice-of-c-130j-for-tacamo-mission/
