A Royal Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint has been refuelled by a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker on recent operations.
The Rivet Joint is a dedicated electronic surveillance aircraft that is widely employed on military operations to monitor, collect, and analyse selected communications and radar signals.
They are flown by 51 Squadron who are based at RAF Waddington and are part of the RAF's Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Force. The aircraft have also recently been refuelled by a French Air Force C-135FR Stratotanker, demonstrating the ongoing interoperability of NATO aircraft on operations. Integration with the French Air Force shows support to the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, which is an Anglo-French military force.
Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, Deputy Commander (Operations) said: "The ISTAR Force has been exceptionally busy throughout this last year, particularly our Rivet Joint capability, which has been operating at almost 200% from previous norms. Flying from the Barents, via the Baltics, Eastern Flank, into the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, our ability to collect intelligence data, and process it at pace has proved vital, and has been right at the very heart of intelligence provision for NATO."
Like the United States Air Force’s KC-135, the RAF’s Voyager aircraft regularly delivers fuel to partner nation forces to extend the duration and range of the flights.
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Stats
RC-135W RIVET JOINT:
Powerplant: four 21,600lb st (96kN) CFM International F108-CF-201 turbofan engines
Length: 135ft (41.10m)
Height: 42ft (12.80m)
Wingspan: 131ft (39.90m)
Wing area: 2,433sqft (226.03m2)
Maximum take-off weight: around 297,000lb (133,633kg)
Maximum airspeed: 470kt (870km/h)
Range: around 3,900 miles (6,500km)
Service ceiling: 39,000ft
Crew: 2 pilots, 1 navigator and a Mission Crew configured for the task.
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.
RC-135W Rivet Joint employs multidiscipline Weapons System Officer (WSO) and Weapons System Operator (WSOp) specialists whose mission is to survey elements of the electromagnetic spectrum in order to derive intelligence for commanders.
