MARIETTA, Georgia, — The U.S. Navy has received its first C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft from Lockheed Martin for conversion into the E-130J Phoenix II, the service’s next-generation aircraft for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) nuclear communications mission.
The aircraft was handed over at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Marietta, Georgia. It is the first of three C-130J-30 aircraft acquired by the Navy in September 2024 and will undergo modifications to replace the aging E-6B Mercury fleet.
E-130J to Maintain Nuclear Communications
The TACAMO mission provides secure, survivable communications between the U.S. president, the secretary of defense, U.S. Strategic Command and the Navy’s deployed ballistic missile submarines. The capability allows national leadership to transmit instructions to submarines, including during crises when ground-based communications networks are disrupted.
The Navy has relied on the Boeing 707-based E-6B Mercury for more than three decades. The E-130J is intended to take over the mission with updated avionics, communications systems and survivability features. The C-130J-30 extended-fuselage aircraft was selected for its range, payload capacity and fuel efficiency.
Capt. Roger Davis, program manager for the Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control, and Communications program office (PMA-271), said the delivery establishes the foundation for the future strategic deterrence posture and reflects cooperation between the Navy, Lockheed Martin and industry partners.
Northrop Grumman to Integrate Mission Systems
Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor and mission systems integrator under a contract worth approximately $3.46 billion awarded in December 2024. The company will modify the government-furnished C-130J-30 airframes and install and test the specialized equipment. The industry team also includes Collins Aerospace, Raytheon, Crescent Systems and Long Wave.
Collins Aerospace will supply the Very Low Frequency (VLF) communications system, which supports authenticated communications with submarines operating beneath the ocean’s surface, allowing them to receive messages without surfacing.
After post-delivery processing, the aircraft will undergo mission-system modifications, ground testing, developmental flight testing and certification before operational deployment.
Trish Pagan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions business, described the handover as a milestone for the Navy and the nation’s strategic communications network.
Hercules Returns to the TACAMO Mission
The Phoenix II name refers to the Navy’s previous use of the EC-130Q Hercules for TACAMO operations from 1963 to 1993, before the E-6 Mercury took over. The E-130J will return the Hercules family to the mission with modernized avionics, communications and survivability systems.
The program is part of the wider modernization of the U.S. Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) architecture. The program of record calls for 31 aircraft: six developmental or pre-production aircraft and 25 production aircraft.
The first airframe completed assembly in early September 2025. A critical design review is planned for 2027, a production decision is targeted for 2029, and initial operational testing is expected in the early 2030s.
Strategic Communications Wing 1 to Operate the Fleet
Strategic Communications Wing 1 (SCW-1), based at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, will operate and maintain the E-130J fleet. The wing currently operates the E-6B Mercury around the clock, receiving, verifying and retransmitting emergency action messages. It also supports U.S. Strategic Command’s airborne command post mission, known as Looking Glass.
Selected SCW-1 sailors visited the Marietta facility for program briefings, simulator flights and production line tours ahead of the aircraft handover.
Capt. David Gardner, commodore of SCW-1, said the E-130J would provide sailors with next-generation survivable and reliable communications to maintain the link between national leadership and strategic nuclear forces.
The existing E-6B fleet will continue operating during the transition while the E-130J completes its development, testing and certification.
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