jmc

We can draw two similar hexagons, an outer one for which the large circle is the circumcircle and an inner one that connects the centers of the smaller circles. We know that the sidelength of the inner hexagon is 6 since $\overline{DE}$ consists of the radii of two small circles. We also know that the radius of the outer hexagon is 3 units longer than the radius of the inner hexagon since $\overline{AD}$ is the radius of a small circle. There are now several approaches to solving the problem.

$\text{Approach 1:}$ We use a 30-60-90 triangle to find the radius $\overline{CD}$ of the inner hexagon. Triangle $CED$ is an isosceles triangle since $\overline{CE}$ and $\overline{CD}$ are both radii of a regular hexagon. So dropping a perpendicular from $C$ to $\overline{DE}$ bisects $\angle C$ and $\overline{DE}$ and creates two congruent right triangles. The central angle of a hexagon has a measure of $\frac{360^{\circ }}{6}=60^{\circ }$. So $m\angle C=60^{\circ }$. Each right triangle has a leg of length $\frac{DE}{2}=3$ and is a 30-60-90 right triangle (since $\angle C$ was bisected into two angles of $30^{\circ }$). That makes the length of the hypotenuse (the radius of the inner hexagon) two times the length of the short leg, or $2\cdot 3=6$. Now we know that the radius of the outer hexagon is $6+3=9$, so the diameter is $\boxed{18}$ units long.

$\text{Approach 2:}$ We prove that the triangles formed by the center to two vertices of a regular hexagon (such as $△CED$ and $△CBA$) are equilateral triangles. The central angle of a hexagon has a measure of $\frac{360^{\circ }}{60}=60^{\circ }$. So $m\angle C=60^{\circ }$. The interior angle of a hexagon has a measure of $\frac{180^{\circ }(6-2)}{6}=\frac{180^{\circ }\cdot 4}{6}=30^{\circ }\cdot 4=120^{\circ }$. That means the other two angles in the triangle each have a measure of half the interior angle, or $60^{\circ }$. All three angles equal $60^{\circ }$ so the triangle is an equilateral triangle. Then we know that $CD=DE=6$. Now we know that the radius of the outer hexagon is $6+3=9$, so the diameter is $\boxed{18}$ units long.

$\text{Approach 3:}$ Another way to prove that the triangles are equilateral is to show that triangle $CED$ is an isosceles triangle and $m\angle C=60^{\circ }$ (see other approaches for how). That means $m\angle D=m\angle E$ and $m\angle D+m\angle E=120^{\circ }$. Then all three angles have a measure of $60^{\circ }$ each. We continue the rest of approach 2 after proving that triangle $CED$ is equilateral.