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RC-135

An RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft moves into position behind a KC-135T/R Stratotanker for an aerial refueling.

Type reconnaissance aircraft
Manufacturer Boeing
Primary user United States Air Force
Developed from C-135 Stratolifter

The Boeing RC-135 is a United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft used to support theater and national level consumers with near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities. Surveillance aircraft are military Aircraft used for monitoring enemy activity usually carrying no armament An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E Surveillance aircraft are military Aircraft used for monitoring enemy activity usually carrying no armament

Contents

Overview

The aircraft is an extensively modified C-135 with on-board sensors which enable the crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Geolocation refers to identifying the real-world geographic location of an Internet connected computer mobile device website visitor or other The electromagnetic (EM spectrum is the range of all possible Electromagnetic radiation frequencies The crew can then forward information in a variety of formats to a wide range of consumers via Rivet Joint's communications.

In 2005, the RC-135 fleet completed a series of significant airframe, navigational and power-plant upgrades which include re-engining from the TF-33 to the CFM-56 (F-108) engines used on the KC-135 Stratotanker and upgrade of the flight deck instrumentation and navigational systems to the AMP standard. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The AMP standard includes conversion from analog readouts to a digital "glass cockpit" configuration. A glass cockpit is an Aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays.

The current RC-135 fleet is the latest iteration of modifications to this pool of aircraft going back to the early 1960s. Initially employed by Strategic Air Command for reconnaissance, the RC-135 fleet has also participated in every armed conflict involving U. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U S. assets during its tenure. RC-135s supported operations in Vietnam, the Mediterranean for Operation El Dorado Canyon, Grenada for Operation Urgent Fury, Panama for Operation Just Cause, the Balkans for Operations Deliberate Force and Allied Force, and Southwest Asia for Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The United States bombing of Libya (code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon) comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Grenada (grɪˈneɪdə is an Island nation that includes the southern Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was an Invasion of the nation of Grenada, an island in the Caribbean Sea 100 miles north Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. The United States invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation Just Cause, was the Invasion of Panama by the United States in December 1989 The 1995 NATO bombing in Bosnia and Herzegovina (code-named by NATO Operation Deliberate Force) was a sustained air campaign conducted by the The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia (code-named Operation Allied Force) was NATO 's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF is the official name used by the U The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign RC-135s have maintained a constant presence in Southwest Asia since the early 1990s.

All RC-135s are assigned to Air Combat Command. Air Combat Command ( ACC) is a major command (MAJCOM of the United States Air Force. The RC-135 is permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and operated by the 55th Wing using forward operating locations worldwide. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The 55th Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Offutt Air Force Base.

Aircraft versions and associated missions

RC-135A

The RC-135A was a photo mapping platform utilized briefly by the Air Photographic & Charting Service. The mission was soon taken over by satellites, and the RC-135As were de-modified and used as staff transports. Due to delays in fitting their original equipment, the RC-135As were the last of the entire C-135 series delivered to the USAF.

RC-135B

The standard as-delivered version of the RC-135. The RC-135B was never used operationally, as it had no mission equipment installed by Boeing. The entire RC-135B production run was delivered directly to Martin Aircraft in Baltimore, Maryland for modification and installation of mission equipment. Upon completion, the RC-135Bs were designated RC-135C

RC-135C Big Team

Modified RC-135B aircraft used for strategic reconnaissance duties, and equipped with the AN/ASD-1 reconnaissance system. The aircraft were fitted with 'cheek' pods containing an ELINT emitter locating system (not Side Looking Airborne Radar - SLAR, as often quoted), as well as numerous other antennae.

RC-135D Rivet Brass

The RC-135Ds, then known as KC-135A-II's were the first reconnaissance configured C-135's, and were delivered to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska in 1962 as part of the Office Boy Project. Serial numbers were 60-356, 60-357, and 60-362. The aircraft began operational missions in 1963. These three aircraft were originally produced as KC-135As, but delivered without refueling booms, known as "falsie C-135As" pending the delivery of the first actual C-135A cargo aircraft in 1961. The primary Rivet Brass mission flew along the northern border of the Soviet Union, often as a shuttle mission between Eielson and RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, and later RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK. RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford Oxfordshire, England. RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force (RAF station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. At the completion of the program, the aircraft were converted into tankers, and are currently in the fleet as KC-135Rs. [1]

RC-135E Rivet Amber

Originally known as the C-135B-II, project name Lisa Ann, the RC-135E Rivet Amber was a one-of-a-kind aircraft equipped with a large Hughes phased-array radar system. It was deployed from Shemya Air Force Station, Alaska, and operated together with the RC-135S Rivet Ball aircraft (see below). Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The radar system alone weighed over 35,000 pounds and cost over USD$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. The radiation generated by the radar was sufficient to be a health hazard to the crew, and both ends of the radar compartment were shielded by thick lead bulkheads. This prevented the forward and aft crew areas from having direct contact after boarding the aircraft. The system could track an object the size of a soccer ball from a distance of 300 miles (480 km), and its mission was to monitor Soviet ballistic missile testing in the reentry phase. A ballistic missile is a Missile that follows a Sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering a warhead to a predetermined target The power requirement for the phased array radar was enormous, necessitating an additional power supply. This took the form of a podded General Electric J-85 turbojet engine in a pod under the inboard wing section, driving a generator dedicated to mission equipment. On the opposite wing in the same location was a podded heat exchanger to permit cooling of the massive electronic components onboard the aircraft. This configuration has led to the mistaken impression that the aircraft had six engines. On June 5, 1969, Rivet Amber was lost on a ferry flight from Shemya to Eielson, and no trace of the aircraft or its crew was ever found (see Rivet Amber crash for details). Rivet Amber, an RC-135E, 62-4137 operating out of Shemya AFB, went down in the Bering Sea on 5 June, 1969. [2]

RC-135M Rivet Card

The RC-135M was an interim type with more limited ELINT capability than the RC-135C but with extensive additional capability. They were operated by the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron during the Vietnam War from Kadena AB, gathering SIGINT with the platform name Combat Apple. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base located in the towns [3] There were six RC-135M aircraft, 62-4131, 62-4132, 62-4134, 62-4135, 62-4138 and 62-4139, all of which were later modified to RC-135V/W configuration by the early 1980s. [4] During a mission for Operation Enduring Freedom on March 12, 2008, 62-4132 became the first of any C-135 airframe to surpass 50,000 flying hours. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF is the official name used by the U Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [5]

RC-135S Rivet Ball

Rivet Ball was the predecessor program to Cobra Ball and was initiated with a single RC-135S (serial 59-1491, formerly a JKC-135A) on December 31, 1961, although the "Rivet Ball" name was not assigned until 1967. The aircraft was deployed from Shemya, Alaska. Shemya or Simiya ( Samiyax̂ in Aleut) is a small island in the Semichi Islands southwest of Alaska, at. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent During its conversion, a large radome was installed to house the aircraft's mission-specific S band radar. A radome (the word is a contraction of Radar and Dome) is a structural weatherproof enclosure that protects a Radar antenna The S band ranges from 2 to 4  GHz, crossing the (artificial boundary between UHF and SHF at 3 Besides the over-sized radome, the aircraft was characterized by ten large optically flat quartz windows on the right side of the fuselage used for tracking cameras. Rivet Ball holds the distinction of obtaining the first photographic documentation of Soviet Multiple Reentry Vehicle (MRV) testing on 4 October 1968. The aircraft was destroyed in a landing accident at Shemya on 13 January 1969, although there were no fatalities. [2][6]

RC-135S Cobra Ball

Two Cobra Ball aircraft on the flightline at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
Two Cobra Ball aircraft on the flightline at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

The RC-135S Cobra Ball is a MASINT aircraft equipped with special optical instruments designed to observe ballistic missile flights at long range. Measurement and Signature Intelligence, or MASINT, refers to intelligence gathering activities that bring together disparate elements that do not fit within the A ballistic missile is a Missile that follows a Sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering a warhead to a predetermined target The aircraft is an extensively modified C-135. There are four aircraft in service and they are part of the 55th Wing, 45th Reconnaissance Squadron based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The 55th Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Offutt Air Force Base. Cobra Ball aircraft were originally assigned to Shemya and used to observe ballistic missile tests on the Kamchatka peninsula in conjunction with Cobra Dane and Cobra Judy. The AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane Radar is a Passive electronically scanned array installation at Eareckson Air Station on the island of Shemya,

Cobra Ball Aircraft

Type Registration / Serial Number

RC-135U Combat Sent

Combat Sent aircraft in flight. Notice the unique nose cone, wingtips, tail, etc.
Combat Sent aircraft in flight. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Shemya or Simiya ( Samiyax̂ in Aleut) is a small island in the Semichi Islands southwest of Alaska, at. Notice the unique nose cone, wingtips, tail, etc.

The RC-135U, or Combat Sent, is a reconnaissance aircraft in use by the United States Air Force. The aircraft is designed to collect technical intelligence on adversary systems. Distinctly identified by the antennae arrays on the nose and wing tips of the airframe, along with extended tail, there are currently only 2 Combat Sents in the USAF, both based at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, under the 55th Wing. Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and The 55th Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force and the host wing at Offutt Air Force Base. Minimum crew requirements are 2 pilots, 2 navigators, 3 systems engineers, 10 electronic warfare officers, and 6 area specialists. [8]

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

The RC-135V/W sensor suite allows the mission crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Geolocation refers to identifying the real-world geographic location of an Internet connected computer mobile device website visitor or other The electromagnetic (EM spectrum is the range of all possible Electromagnetic radiation frequencies The mission crew can then forward gathered information in a variety of formats to a wide range of consumers via Rivet Joint's extensive communications suite. The interior seats 34 people, including the cockpit crew, electronic warfare officers, intelligence operators and airborne systems engineers. Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly All Rivet Joint airframe and mission systems modifications are performed by L-3 Communications in Greenville, Texas, under the oversight of the Air Force Materiel Command. Airframe means the mechanical structure of an Aircraft and as generally used does not include the engines Not to be confused with Level 3 Communications, an Internet carrier L-3 Communications Holdings Inc Greenville is the County seat of Hunt County, Texas, in the United States. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC is a major command of the United States Air Force.

All RC-135s are assigned to Air Combat Command. The RC-135 is permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. , and operated by the 55th Wing, using various forward deployment locations worldwide. http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=121

General characteristics Primary Function: Reconnaissance Contractor: L-3 Communications Power Plant: Four CFM International F108-CF-201 high bypass turbofan engines Thrust: 21,600 pounds each engine Wingspan: 131 feet (39. 9 m) Length: 135 feet (41. 1 m) Height: 42 feet (12. 8 m) Weight: 173,000 pounds (78,743 kilograms) Maximum Takeoff Weight: 297,000 pounds (133,633 kilograms) Fuel Capacity: 130,000 pounds (58,967 kilograms) Speed: 500+ miles per hour (Mach. 66) Range: 3,900 miles (6,500 kilometers) Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 m) Crew: (flight crew) five (augmented) - three pilots, two navigators; (mission flight crew) 21-27, depending on mission requirements, minimum consisting of three electronic warfare officers, 14 intelligence operators and four inflight/airborne maintenance technicians Unit Cost: unavailable Initial operating capability: January 1964 Inventory: Active force, 13; Reserve, 0; Guard, 0

64-14841/14849 Boeing RC-135B Stratotanker c/n 18781/18789. All converted to RC-135C. 14841 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14842 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14843 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14844 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14845 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14846 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14847 converted to RC-135U *Combat Sent* intelligence aircraft. 14848 converted to RC-135V *Rivet Joint* electronic intelligence aircraft 14849 converted to RC-135U *Combat Sent* intelligence aircraft.

Point of Contact Air Combat Command, Public Affairs Office; 130 Andrews St. , Suite 202; Langley AFB, VA 23665-1987; DSN 574-5007 or 757-764-5007; e-mail: accpa. operations@langley. af. mil http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=121

Under the "BIG SAFARI" program name, RC-135Vs were upgraded from the RC-135C "Big Team" configuration, itself a mission modified RC-135B (the first version delivered). The difference between the original and upgraded RC-135Vs and Ws is the different engines used.

RC-135X Cobra Eye

Another variation is the RC-135X, only one of which was created (from an C-135B Telemetry/Range Instrumented Aircraft) in the mid-1980s and used to track missile reentry vehicles. [9][10] In 1993, it was converted into an additional RC-135S. [3][11]

Specifications (C-135)

RC-135 Rivet Joint
Description
Role Reconnaissance
Crew 27 (augmented): 3 Pilots, 2 Navigators, 22 Recon Crewmembers
Dimensions
Length 135 ft 41. 1 m
Wingspan 131 ft 39. 9 m
Height 42 ft 12. 8 m
Wing area 2,433 ft² 226 m²
Weights
Empty 98,466 lb 44,664 kg
Loaded 106,306 lb 48,220 kg
Maximum take-off 297,000 lb 134,000 kg
Powerplant
Engines Four CFM International F108-CF-201 high bypass turbofan engines
Thrust 21600 lbf
Performance
Maximum speed 500 mph (Mach 0. A turbofan is a type of Jet engine, similar to a Turbojet. It essentially consists of a Ducted fan with a smaller diameter turbojet engine Mach number (\mathrm{Ma} or M (generally ˈmɑːk sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/ is the speed of an object moving through air or any Fluid 66) 800 km/h
Combat range 3,900 mi 6,500 km
Ferry range
Service ceiling 44,000 ft 13. 4 km
Rate of climb

General characteristics

Performance


Other Characteristics

Operators

References

  1. ^ C-135 Variants Part 2 by Jennings Heilig
  2. ^ a b A Tail of Two Airplanes by Kingdon R. Hawes
  3. ^ a b 82d Recon Page
  4. ^ Don Logan, C-135 Series, Schiffer Publishing
  5. ^ United States Air Force. 2nd Lt. Tania Bryan. RC-135 surpasses 50,000 flying-hour mark. March 13, 2008. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
  6. ^ C-135 Variants - Part 1, by Jennings Heilig
  7. ^ Aviation Safety's incident summary
  8. ^ Official USAF fact page
  9. ^ Lexicon
  10. ^ Rendall, David. Jane's Aircraft Recognition Guide, 2000.
  11. ^ C-135 Variants - Part 3 by Jennings Heilig

External links

See also


Related development

Related lists

Rivet Amber, an RC-135E, 62-4137 operating out of Shemya AFB, went down in the Bering Sea on 5 June, 1969. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout * List of active United States military aircraft This is a list of currently-active Military aircraft in use by the United States
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