THE ERAS OF TACAMO

1960s

• Proof of Concept to Squadron Formation
• TACAMO I and II test flights with single wire roll on/roll off vans
• VR detachments evolve to VQ-3 Pacific and VQ-4 Atlantic
• Iceland-UK gap coverage and Pacific equivalent

1970s

• Development and employment of the systems of TACAMO III, IVB, TIP I
• TACAMO IVB power impact on basing
• Anti-jam VLF
• First alert sites- Pax River, Bermuda
• Satellite communications advantages
• Crew Four Loss and KC-130F arrivals

1980s

• VQ-3 Buildup, EMP hardening, two-ocean continuous airborne coverage, E-6 start
• VQ-3 move to Hawaii
• Ready alert in Hawaii then Moffett Field
• VQ-4 search for CONUS alert site
• Mid-CONUS base search
• ECX becomes E-6A
• E-6 training at Waco and Huntsville
• PEP for pilots and flight engineers
• First E-6 ops in Hawaii

1990s

• E-6A introduction and early ops, community relocation and consolidation in OK, start of the E-6B
• E-6 alert at Travis AFB
• VQ-4 start of E-6 ops
• Tinker AFB homeport, construction, consolidation, relocation
• Continuous airborne coverage becomes continuous alert coverage
• Airborne Command Post conversion

2000s

• Airborne Command Post ops to Operation Iraqi Freedom