E-6 Mercury Aircraft: America's Most Fearsome Weapon

To deal with emergencies including nuclear attacks, the US will use the E-6 Mercury aircraft, which carry no weapons.

The famous American newspaper The National Interest has listed the most dangerous weapons of the United States, and surprisingly they are not the 5th generation F-22 aircraft, nor any new type of aircraft carrier. Military expert Sebastien Roblin said that the E-6 Mercury, an unarmed aircraft, is the most dangerous weapon of the United States today.

The E-6 Mercury, the plane that would start and end World War III if it happened.

The E-6 Mercury is a modified version of the Boeing 707-329 passenger aircraft, equipped with a TACAMO (“Take Charge and Move Out”) ballistic missile remote control system, which allows it to detect, track targets and immediately launch attacks on them from a distance. It is equipped with an emergency warning system and can easily escape enemy attacks.

Upgraded from the Boeing 707-329 airframe, the E-6 Mercury has a range of over 11,000 km and is capable of aerial refueling allowing it to operate continuously for 15 to 72 hours.

The E-6 Mercury aircraft will be upgraded and installed with the following systems: airborne control system (ALCS), UHF C3 (Command, Control, Communication) radio system, Digital Airborne Intercommunications Switching System/DAISS, strategic tactical relay radio system, multi-mission computer, UHF satellite communication antenna, standard frequency/time distribution system, MIL-STD-1553B backup data sets.

These systems allow pilots to detect distant targets and contact the nearest appropriate forces and launch an attack. They can contact Ohio-class submarines (submarines equipped with ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads) and provide information to the submarine to attack the target. The system can also transmit orders from the National Command Authority to launch Trient missiles.

The E-6 Mercury crew consists of two pilots, one navigator, five officers, nine flight attendants, and four TACAMO specialists.

This composition may change when they perform the mission of an Airborne Command Post (ABNCP), at which time the composition includes 5 naval officers, 9 aviation personnel and 8 command officers according to the regulations of the US Strategic Command.

When deploying TACAMO systems, they will search for targets and deploy missions continuously for about 15 days. Therefore, the crew needs to be divided into support groups and on duty 24/7.

In addition, the E-6 Mercury is capable of transmitting signals to intercontinental ballistic missile units carrying nuclear warheads on the ground. If necessary, the E-6 Mercury can perform the additional function of the "doomsday plane" E-6 Looking Glass. Currently, all 16 of these aircraft are built, when they perform their missions, they can transmit signals to US nuclear forces around the world.

According to Dat Viet Newspaper