E-6 Mercury TACAMO vs EC-135 / EC-18 ARIA

American command-and-control aircraft, operative during the Cold War era, kept primarily for communications with U.S. nuclear forces.
Picture of E-6 Mercury TACAMO
Origin country 🇺🇸 United States
Category Military Special Mission Aircraft
Manufacturer Boeing
First flight 19 February 1987
Year introduced 1989
Number produced 16 units
Average unit price $141 million
American electronic surveillance and relay aircraft, involved largely in Cold War and Space Race-era operations.
Picture of EC-135 / EC-18 ARIA
Origin country 🇺🇸 United States
Category Military Special Mission Aircraft
Manufacturer Boeing
First flight 1 January 1961
Year introduced 1968
Number produced 45 units
Average unit price $150 million
Wing area -- m²
Wingspan 45.2 m â—‰
Height 12.9 m â—‰
Length 45.8 m â—‰
Maximum speed 966 km/h â—‰
Operational range 12,000 km â—‰
Service ceiling 12,192 m â—‰
Max. takeoff weight 155,128 kg â—‰
Total thrust 4 x 11,213 kgf â—‰
Wing area 223.0 m²
Wingspan 31.6 m â—‰
Height 12.7 m â—‰
Length 43.1 m â—‰
Maximum speed 927 km/h â—‰
Operational range 8,300 km â—‰
Service ceiling 10,058 m â—‰
Max. takeoff weight 136,304 kg â—‰
Total thrust 4 x 8,165 kgf â—‰

Performance Radar Chart