US Navy upgrades E-6B Doomsday with $20.3 million contract

The US Navy has signed a $20.3 million contract to upgrade the E-6B Doomsday. This project is designed to strengthen the advanced communication systems of this strategic jet.

This new investment demonstrates the US Navy’s commitment to maintaining and developing its nuclear deterrent capabilities. The primary goal is to modernize critical equipment for the highly sensitive communications missions of the E-6B fleet.

E-6B Doomsday upgrade contract details

Collins Aerospace received a $20.3 million contract from the US Navy. This contract is for the production and delivery of three E-6B Doomsday high power transmitter modernization kits. Work is underway in Richardson, Texas and will be completed by June 2027. The budget for this contract will be provided from the Navy’s aircraft purchase accounts in fiscal year 2026.

The strategic role of the E-6B aircraft in nuclear communications

The E-6B Doomsday is a key node in the US military’s nuclear command, control and communications (C3) architecture. The platform provides airborne communications to connect national leadership with strategic forces, including ballistic missile submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Modernization kits upgrade high-power communications equipment to support very low frequencies (VLF) in strategic command missions. The exact technical details of the upgrades have not been released for security reasons.

Continued upgrades for the E-6B fleet

The E-6B Doomsday fleet has been undergoing incremental upgrades for years. These efforts are made to increase service life and maintain operational readiness. These upgrades focus on improving avionics, communication stability, and integration with command and control networks.