RTX-owned Collins Aerospace has secured a $20.3 million US Navy contract to upgrade key communications systems aboard the E-6B Mercury, the service’s airborne nuclear command and control aircraft. The platform functions as a critical “doomsday aircraft,” enabling secure coordination between national leadership and military commanders during extreme crisis scenarios.
Under the agreement, Collins will supply three High-Power Transmit Set Modernization (HPTS-M) kits in full-rate production configuration. These upgrades are intended to replace legacy radios and transmitters, strengthening the E-6B’s ability to maintain continuous, long-range strategic communications under all operating conditions.
The Department of Defense has not released technical details of the modernization effort. However, a 2024 HPTS-M pre-solicitation document confirmed Collins Aerospace as the sole known provider capable of executing the upgrade. Contracted work will take place in Richardson, Texas, with program completion targeted for mid-2027 and managed by Naval Air Systems Command.
The modernization comes as the US military prepares for a generational shift in airborne command platforms. The navy recently expanded Mercury pilot training at its Oklahoma facilities while formally designating the E-130J as the successor TACAMO aircraft. Based on the C-130J-30, the navy plans to introduce nine E-130Js by 2028, while the US Air Force advances its own replacement effort with the E-4C, intended to succeed the aging E-4B fleet.
