How many RC-135 does RAF have?
32
Boeing RC-135
| RC-135 | |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 1961 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary users | United States Air Force Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 32 total airframes in all iterations |
What is a Boeing Rivet Joint aircraft?
ROLE. RC-135W Rivet Joint is a dedicated electronic surveillance aircraft that can be employed in all theatres on strategic and tactical missions. Its sensors ‘soak up’ electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems.
What is the Boeing rc135 used for?
The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft supports theater and national level consumers with near real time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities. The aircraft is an extensively modified C-135.
What does the Rivet Joint plane do?
The RIVET JOINT aircraft operated by the 55th Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., provide direct, near real-time reconnaissance information and electronic warfare support to theater commanders and combat forces.
How much is an RC 135 worth?
The Airseeker is a SIGINT aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) based on the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. Three KC-135R aircraft are to be purchased and converted to RC-135W Rivet Joint standard. The cost per airframe is believed to be $330 million.
How much does a RC-135 cost?
What is JAKE12?
New surveillance mission over Ukraine for an USAF asset: a Boeing RC-135V (reg. 64-14844 – callsign JAKE12) is performed an ISR mission north of peninsula of Crimea.
What is Cobra Ball?
The RC-135S Cobra Ball is a rapidly deployable aircraft, which flies Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed missions of national priority to collect optical and electronic data on ballistic targets.
What is the Rivet Joint Surveillance Aircraft UK is buying?
One of the three Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft UK is buying from the U.S. as part of the Airseeker program has been flown in UK airspace by an RAF aircrew for the first time.
Is the Royal Air Force the only Rivet Joint operator outside the US?
The Royal Air Force is going to be the only Rivet Joint operator outside the U.S. Air Force. It will operate three RC-135W surveillance planes, within a project dubbed “Airseeker.” The three RC-135s come from ex- US Air Force KC-135 tankers, whose conversion by L-3IS in Greenville, Texas, started back in January 2011.
How much did the Rivet Amber cost?
The radar system alone weighed over 35,000 pounds and cost over US$35 million (1960 dollars), making Rivet Amber both the heaviest C-135-derivative aircraft flying and the most expensive Air Force aircraft for its time. This prevented the forward and aft crew areas from having direct contact after boarding the aircraft.
What is project Rivet Joint?
The roots of the deal lie in Project Helix, launched in 2003, the aim was to study options for extending the service life of the Nimrod R1’s out into the next two decades. It wasn’t until 2008 that Rivet Joint was seriously considered. Helix became Project Airseeker, under which three KC-135 aircraft were converted to RC-135W standard.
