US Scraps TE-6B Conversion of Ex-RAF E-3D Sentry

[Precinct7]

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/us-scra ... 3d-sentry/


Plans to convert a former Royal Air Force E-3D Sentry into a dedicated training aircraft for the US Navy’s E-6B Mercury fleet have been scrapped, with the airframe now set for dismantling and part harvesting under a contract awarded to Northrop Grumman.
The aircraft, Bureau Number 170508, was sold to the US following its retirement from RAF service and re-designated TE-6B, intended to become an In-Flight Trainer (IFT) platform to support operations of the Navy’s nuclear command-and-control aircraft. But on 14 May 2025, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a $2.98 million contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation for its disposal instead.

According to the official notice on SAM.gov, the contract was awarded on a sole-source basis “for part harvesting and disposal of the TE-6B aircraft, Bureau Number (BuNo) 170508 (formerly an E-3D Aircraft).” The notice further states:

“The authority permitting other than full and open competition is provided in 10 U.S.C. 3204 (a)(1), Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services will Satisfy Agency Requirements.”

The action was awarded under the Basic Ordering Agreement N0001920G0005, with the notice describing the aircraft as “originally procured for use as an In-Flight Trainer (IFT) platform, for the E-6B community.” This work will be carried out in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with Northrop Grumman tasked with salvaging usable components and overseeing the complete disposal of the airframe.

The E-6B Mercury is the US Navy’s airborne command post, based on the Boeing 707 airframe and serving a critical role in nuclear deterrence. Operated by Strategic Communications Wing ONE, the aircraft supports both the TACAMO (Take Charge and Move Out) mission—relaying instructions to submerged nuclear submarines—and the US Strategic Command’s Airborne Command Post role. Given the platform’s continuous airborne alert role and highly specialised systems, a dedicated in-flight trainer like the TE-6B had been envisioned to ease operational demands on the frontline fleet. Its cancellation may now place additional pressure on the remaining E-6Bs or reflect shifts toward alternative training solutions.

This marks the end of the TE-6B designation, which had applied solely to this one aircraft. The US Navy’s interest in repurposing the Sentry was seen as a rare second life for a retired RAF platform. This quiet reversal of plans suggests either technical hurdles or changing priorities in the evolving architecture of airborne nuclear command and control.

[Davef68]

The E-6s are due to start going in 2027 (replaced by C-130J variant), so presumably a new trainer won't be economic.

[KevinJ]

I've heard there is a 737-800 being converted to a trainer for the E-6B crews in Oklahoma City, not sure what the military designation is though.