NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT NAVAL AIR STATION, Md. — The E-6B Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office (PMA-271) completed a Gate 6 / Milestone C review for the E-6B Modification program (Acquisition Category II) June 8.

With the Milestone Decision Authority’s approval, the E-6B Block I Program enters the Production and Deployment phase of the acquisition timeline.

“This is a huge step forward for the entire E-6 Program Office,” said Capt. Bob Roof, PMA-271 program manager. “The Block I Acquisition impacts the implementation schedule for all the other acquisition ongoing in the PMA. Achieving this important milestone not only facilitates the Block I upgrades for the Fleet, but will also facilitate other very important upgrades to provide the Fleet with a state-of-the-art Command, Control and Communications platform. This was truly a team effort led by the Block I IPT leads, Cmdr. Jaime Engdahl and Amy Houle Caruso, and is the result of much hard work over the past year between the IPT and our contract partner, Rockwell Collins.”

The E-6B Mercury Block I Program entered into System Development and Demonstration (SDD) following Milestone B (MS B) in March 2004. The purpose of the Block I Program is to correct E-6B Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) Follow-on Test & Evaluation deficiencies and replace equipment that is obsolete or degrades mission performance by modifying aircraft, ground training systems, and the Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL) to provide the Joint Force with a more effective survivable nuclear command, control and communications capability.

The Prime Contractor for the Block IA Program is Rockwell Collins located in Richardson, Texas. Rockwell Collins, teamed with subcontract L-3 Communications, supports successful aircraft modifications in Waco, Texas.

The System Design and Development contract will be complete 2nd quarter fiscal year 2011 (FY11). However, this Milestone C decision supports the first Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract to be awarded with an aircraft expected to be delivered for operational use 1st quarter of fiscal year 2012. An additional three aircraft will be completed by 1st quarter fiscal year 20113.

The Block I Mod has supported some fleet exercises that have resulted in the fleet customer being very excited about the Block I Mod, the future of the E-6 aircraft and its mission, said Roof.

Source: NAVAIR