Northrop Grumman Selects ThinKom Antenna for U.S. Navy E-130J Phoenix II TACAMO Aircraft

Northrop Grumman has chosen ThinKom's ThinAir multi-orbit antenna to provide satellite communications for the U.S. Navy's E-130J Phoenix II aircraft. The aircraft is being developed to replace the E-6B Mercury in performing the TACAMO mission, which maintains communications between the National Command Authority and U.S. nuclear forces. ThinKom's antenna offers high-bandwidth beyond-line-of-sight connectivity, anti-jam capabilities, and survivability features. Northrop Grumman was named prime contractor for the E-130J Phoenix II in late 2024, and financial terms of the antenna contract were not disclosed.

A ThinKom antenna has been tapped by Northrop Grumman to handle satellite communications aboard the Navy's E-130J Phoenix II, a platform set to take over the service's TACAMO airborne command mission. Work on a replacement aircraft for the Navy's Take Charge and Move Out mission — currently handled by the E-6B Mercury fleet — has been assigned to Northrop Grumman, whose E-130J Phoenix II is the platform being built for that role. Keeping nuclear forces in contact with the National Command Authority falls to the TACAMO mission, which serves as that communication link. Toward the close of 2024, the E-130J Phoenix II programme awarded its prime contractor designation to Northrop Grumman following a formal selection process. A Tuesday announcement from ThinKom confirmed that its multi-orbit ThinAir antenna hardware would be fitted onto the aircraft. Designed into the antenna package are orbit-agnostic connectivity, resistance to jamming, wideband data throughput beyond line of sight, and the structural redundancy needed to keep communications operational under adverse conditions. Fitted to platforms ranging from compact business jets through to wide-body cargo haulers, the antenna configuration sees deployment across both government and civilian fleets. No financial details were made public, while Bill Milroy, ThinKom's chief technology officer, noted that the TACAMO mission requires communications infrastructure capable of performing under the most demanding conditions, adding that the choice of the ThinAir antenna reflected an expanding need for multi-orbit, high-throughput satellite communications aboard strategic airborne platforms, and that the company was pleased to be contributing to the program alongside Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy.

Northrop Grumman Selects ThinKom Antenna for U.S. Navy E-130J Phoenix II TACAMO Aircraft

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Northrop Grumman Selects ThinKom Antenna for U.S. Navy E-130J Phoenix II TACAMO Aircraft

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