Northrop Grumman subsidiary scores $3.5B Navy contract

Northrop Grumman Systems, a subsidiary of Falls Church aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman, has been awarded a $3.549 billion contract by the Navy to engineer and manufacture new nuclear aircraft, according to announcements from the Department of Defense and the Navy last week.

E-130J jets will take the place of the Navy’s current E-6B Mercury fleet for “take charge and move out” (TACAMO), a military mission to mobilize and maintain critical decision-making communications systems, including airborne communications, in the event of nuclear war. The Mercury aircraft provides airborne command, control and communications between the National Command Authority and U.S. nuclear forces. Work began on Dec. 18, according to the Navy.

Under the contract, NGS will serve as prime contractor to integrate the TACAMO mission systems into up to six C-130J-30 air vehicles built by Lockheed Martin.

“Today is a tremendous day for the future of naval aviation’s contribution to our nation’s nuclear deterrence mission,” said Capt. Adam Scott, program manager for the Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office. “With the selection of Northrop Grumman Systems as the prime contractor for the TACAMO recapitalization program, we are ready to move out with developing this critical asset. In carrying on the legacy of the E-6B Mercury, the E-130J will ensure our nation’s leadership is always connected to its nuclear forces for decades to come.”

The U.S. Department of Defense announcement says that work will primarily be performed in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and Indiana, among other U.S. locations, and it is expected to be completed in December 2034. Collins Aerospace and Lockheed Martin will be designated subcontractors on the project.