TACAMO

TACAMO is a United States Navy system employing aircraft to provide survivable communication links during a nuclear war. The acronym stands for "Take Charge and Move Out."

The primary mission of TACAMO is to ensure continuous communication between national command authorities (primarily the President of the United States) and strategic nuclear forces, including ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch facilities, and strategic bombers. This communication is crucial for issuing launch orders in a retaliatory strike, or for relaying other critical information during a crisis.

TACAMO aircraft, currently Boeing E-6B Mercury models, act as airborne command posts and communication relays. They are equipped with specialized, extremely low frequency (ELF) and very low frequency (VLF) radio transmitters. These powerful transmitters use long trailing wire antennas, sometimes several miles in length, to broadcast messages that can penetrate water and reach submerged submarines.

The survivability of the TACAMO system is paramount. The aircraft are designed to withstand electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects from nuclear detonations. They are also constantly airborne, operating on rotating shifts, to ensure a continuous communication capability even if ground-based command and control centers are destroyed.

The TACAMO mission represents a key element of the United States' nuclear deterrence strategy by ensuring the ability to launch a second strike even in the event of a first strike against the United States. This assured retaliation capability is intended to deter any potential adversary from initiating a nuclear attack.