Boeing RC-135

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_RC-135

Interesting Rivet Joint read:

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...han-most-think

The Boeing RC-135 is a family of large reconnaissance aircraft built by Boeing
and modified by a number of companies, including General Dynamics, Lockheed,
LTV, E-Systems, and L3 Technologies, and used by the United States Air Force and
Royal Air Force to support theater and national level intelligence consumers
with near real-time on-scene collection, analysis and dissemination
capabilities. Based on the C-135 Stratolifter airframe, various types of RC-135s
have been in service since 1961. Unlike the C-135 and KC-135 which are
recognized by Boeing as the Model 717, most of the current RC-135 fleet (with
the exception of the RAF’s RC-135Ws) is internally designated as the Model 739
by the company. Many variants have been modified numerous times, resulting in a
large variety of designations, configurations, and program names.

The first RC-135 variant, the RC-135A, was ordered in 1962 by the United States
Air Force to replace the Boeing RB-50 Superfortress. Originally nine were
ordered but this was later reduced to four. Boeing allocated the variant the
designation Boeing 739-700 but they were a modified variant of the KC-135A then
in production. They used the same Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engines as the
tanker, but carried cameras in a bay just aft of the nose wheel well where the
forward fuel tank was normally located. They had no in-flight refueling system
and they were to be used for photographic and surveying tasks. Although the
RC-135A was the first designation in the RC-135 family, it was not the first
RC-135 in service. That distinction belongs to the RC-135S, which began
operational reconnaissance missions in 1961, followed by the RC-135D in 1962.

The next variant ordered was the RC-135B, to be used as an electronic
intelligence aircraft to replace the Boeing RB-47H Stratojet, an SIGINT
platform. Unlike the earlier variants, the RC-135Bs had Pratt & Whitney TF33
turbofans rather than the older J57s. These ten aircraft were delivered directly
to Martin Aircraft beginning in 1965 for installation of their operational
electronics suite. By 1967, they emerged as RC-135Cs and all entered service
that year. The refueling boom was not fitted and the boom operator station was
used as a camera bay for a KA-59 camera. Externally, the aircraft were
distinguished by the large “cheek” antenna fairings on the forward fuselage.

The RC-135Bs were the last of the new aircraft built. All further reconnaissance
variants that followed were modified aircraft, either from earlier RC-135
variants or from tankers and transports.

In 2005, the RC-135 fleet completed a series of significant airframe, navigation
and powerplant upgrades which include re-engining from the TF33 to the CFM
International CFM-56 (F108) engines used on the KC-135R and T Stratotanker and
upgrade of the flight deck instrumentation and navigation systems to the AMP
standard. The AMP standard includes conversion from analog readouts to a digital
"glass cockpit" configuration


Role
Reconnaissance aircraft

Manufacturer
Boeing (airframe)
L3 Technologies

Status
Active

Primary users
United States Air Force
Royal Air Force

Number built
32 total airframes in all iterations

Developed from
C-135 Stratolifter

The current RC-135 fleet is the latest iteration of modifications to this pool
of aircraft dating back to the early 1960s. Initially employed by Strategic Air
Command for reconnaissance, the RC-135 fleet has participated in every armed
conflict involving U.S. forces during its tenure. RC-135s supported operations
in Vietnam War, 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. RC-135s have
maintained a constant presence in Southwest Asia since the early 1990s. They
were stalwarts of Cold War operations, with missions flown around the periphery
of the USSR and its client states in Europe and around the world.

Originally, all RC-135s were operated by Strategic Air Command. Since 1992 they
have been assigned to Air Combat Command. The RC-135 fleet is permanently based
at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and operated by the 55th Wing, using forward
operating locations worldwide. The 55th Wing operates 22 platforms in three
variants: three RC-135S Cobra Ball, two RC-135U Combat Sent, and 17 RC-135V/W
Rivet Joint.

On August 9, 2010, the Rivet Joint program recognized its 20th anniversary of
continuous service in Central Command, dating back to the beginning of Desert
Shield. This represents the longest unbroken presence of any aircraft in the Air
Force inventory. During this time it has flown over 8,000 combat missions
supporting air and ground forces of Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield,
Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, which
continues to this day.

On 22 March 2010 the British Ministry of Defence announced that it had reached
agreement with the US Government to purchase three RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft
to replace the Nimrod R1, which was subsequently retired in June 2011. The
aircraft, to be styled as 'Airseeker', are scheduled to be delivered by 2017 at
a total cost of around £650 million, including provision of ground
infrastructure, training of personnel and ground supporting systems.

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

The RC-135V/W is the USAF's standard airborne SIGINT platform. Missions flown by
the RC-135s are designated either Burning Wind or Misty Wind. Its sensor suite
allows the mission crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the
electromagnetic spectrum. 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 crew consists of the cockpit crew, electronic warfare
officers, intelligence operators, and airborne systems maintenance personnel.
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.

All RC-135s are assigned to Air Combat Command. The RC-135 is permanently based
at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and operated by the 55th Wing, using various
forward deployment locations worldwide.

Under the "BIG SAFARI" program name, RC-135Vs were upgraded from the RC-135C
"Big Team" configuration. RC-135Ws were originally delivered as C-135B
transports, and most were modified from RC-135Ms. This is the only difference
between the V and W variants; both carry the same mission equipment. For many
years, the RC-135V/W could be identified by the four large disc-capped MUCELS
antennas forward, four somewhat smaller blade antennae aft and myriad of smaller
underside antennas. Baseline 8 Rivet Joints (in the 2000s) introduced the first
major change to the external RC-135V/W configuration replacing the MUCELS
antennas with plain blade antennas. The configuration of smaller underside
antennas was also changed significantly.

Specifications (RC-135)

General characteristics
Length: 136 ft 3 in (41.53 m)
Wingspan: 130 ft 10 in (39.88 m)
Height: 41 ft 8 in (12.70 m)
Wing area: 2,433 ft² (226 m²)
Empty weight: 175,000 lb (V/W models) (79,545 kg)
Loaded weight: 297,000 lb (135,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 322,500 lb (146,000 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × CFM International F-108-CF-201 turbofan engines, 22,000 lbf (96
kN) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 580 mph (933 km/h)
Range: 3,450 mi (5,550 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,200 m)
Rate of climb: 4,900 ft/min (1,490 m/min)




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