Boeing RC-135

The Boeing RC-135 is a family of large

RC-135
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,[3][4] most of the current RC- An RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft
135 fleet (with the exception of the RAF's RC-135Ws) in flight.
is internally designated as the Model 739 by the
company. Many variants have been modified numerous Role Reconnaissance aircraft
times, resulting in a large variety of designations, Manufacturer Boeing (airframe)
configurations, and program names. L3 Technologies
Introduction 1961
Design and development Status Active
Primary users United States Air Force
The first RC-135 variant, the RC-135A, was ordered in
Royal Air Force[1][2]
1962 by the United States Air Force to replace the
Boeing RB-50 Superfortress. Originally nine were Number built 32 total airframes in all
ordered but this was later reduced to four. Boeing iterations
allocated the variant the designation Boeing 739–700 Developed from Boeing C-135 Stratolifter
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, a 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.

Operational history
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.[5]

On 9 August 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[6]
supporting air and ground forces of Operations Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Northern Watch, Southern
Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

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.[7][8][9] The aircraft, to be styled as 'Airseeker', were 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.[10][11] In 2013, the UK government confirmed that
crews from the RAF's 51 Squadron had been training and operating alongside their USAF colleagues since
2011, having achieved in excess of 32,000 flying hours and 1,800 sorties as part of the 55th Wing at Offutt
AFB.[12]

The RAF received the first RC-135W in September 2013, which was deployed from July 2014 to support
coalition action against combat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants in Iraq.[13] The second aircraft
was delivered seven months ahead of schedule in September 2015, with over sixty improvements
incorporated ranging from upgrades to the aircraft's mission systems to engine improvements providing
increased fuel efficiency and durability. In due course, the first Airseeker will receive the same
upgrades.[11] The aircraft will be air-to-air refuelled in service by USAF tankers based in Europe, as the
UK does not operate boom-equipped refueling aircraft and has no plans to adapt drogue-equipped
aircraft.[14]
A U.S. Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft was deployed numerous times to conduct
reconnaissance missions around Poland and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad during the 2022 Russian
Invasion of Ukraine. Stated objectives include broadcasting a clear signal that the US, and thus NATO, is
aware of Russian movements in the area of operations. [15][16]

Variants

KC-135A Reconnaissance Platforms

At least four KC-135A tankers were converted into makeshift reconnaissance platforms with no change of
Mission Design Series (MDS) designation. KC-135As 55–3121, 55–3127, 59–1465, and 59-1514 were
modified beginning in 1961. That year the Soviet Union announced its intention to detonate a 100 megaton
thermonuclear device on Novaya Zemlya, the so-called Tsar Bomba. A testbed KC-135A (55–3127) was
modified under the Big Safari program to the SPEED LIGHT BRAVO configuration in order to obtain
intelligence information on the test. The success of the mission prompted conversion of additional aircraft
for intelligence gathering duties.

KC-135R Rivet Stand / Rivet Quick

Not to be confused with the CFM F108-powered KC-135R tanker, the KC-135R MDS was applied in
1963 to the three KC-135A reconnaissance aircraft under the Rivet Stand program. The three aircraft were
55–3121, 59–1465, and 59–1514; a fourth, serial no. 58–0126, was converted in 1969 to replace 1465
which had crashed in 1967. Externally the aircraft had varied configurations throughout their careers, but
generally they were distinguished by five "towel bar" antennas along the spine of the upper fuselage and a
radome below the forward fuselage.

The first three aircraft retained the standard tanker nose radome, while 58-0126 was fitted with the 'hog
nose' radome commonly associated with an RC-135. A trapeze-like structure in place of the refueling boom
which was used to trail an aerodynamic shape housing a specialized receiver array (colloquially known as a
"blivet") on a wire was installed. This was reported to be used for "Briar Patch" and "Combat Lion"
missions. There were four small optically flat windows on each side of the forward fuselage.

On some missions a small wing-like structure housing sensors was fitted to each side of the forward
fuselage, with a diagonal brace below it. With the loss of 59–1465, KC-135A 58-0126 was modified to this
standard under the Rivet Quick operational name. All four aircraft have now been lost or converted to KC-
135R tanker configuration. They are among the few KC-135 tankers equipped with an aerial refueling
receptacle above the cockpit, a remnant of their service as intelligence gathering platforms.

KC-135T Cobra Jaw

KC-135R 55-3121 was modified in 1969 by Lockheed Air Services to the unique KC-135T configuration
under the Cobra Jaw program name. Externally distinguished by the 'hog nose' radome, the aircraft also
featured spinning "fang" receiver antennas below the nose radome, a large blade antenna above the
forward fuselage, a single 'towel bar' antenna on the spine, teardrop antennas forward of the horizontal
stabilizers on each side, and the trapeze-like structure in place of the refueling boom. The aircraft briefly
carried nose art consisting of the Ford Cobra Jet cartoon cobra. It was later modified into an RC-135T
Rivet Dandy.

RC-135A

Four RC-135As (63-8058 through 8061) were photo mapping platforms used briefly by the Air
Photographic & Charting Service, based at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia and later at Forbes Air Force
Base, Kansas as part of the 1370th Photographic Mapping Wing. The mission was soon assumed by
satellites, and the RC-135As were de-modified and used in various other roles, such as staff transport and
crew training. In the early 1980s they were further converted to tankers with the designation KC-135D (of
the same basic configuration as the KC-135A and later E, plus some remaining special mission equipment).
Due to delays in reinstalling their original equipment, the RC-135As were the last of the entire C-135 series
delivered to the USAF. The Boeing model number for the RC-135A is 739–700.[4]

RC-135B

The 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 of ten aircraft was delivered directly to
Martin Aircraft in Baltimore, Maryland for modification and installation of mission equipment under the
Big Safari program. Upon completion, the RC-135Bs were re-designated RC-135C. The Boeing model
number for the RC-135B is 739-445B.[4]

RC-135C Big Team

Modified and re-designated RC-135B aircraft used for strategic reconnaissance duties, equipped with the
AN/ASD-1 electronic intelligence (ELINT) system. This system was characterized by the large 'cheek'
pods on the forward fuselage containing the Automated ELINT Emitter Locating System (AEELS – not
Side Looking Airborne Radar – SLAR, as often quoted), as well as numerous other antennae and a camera
position in the refuelling pod area of the aft fuselage. The aircraft was crewed by two pilots, two
navigators, numerous intelligence gathering specialists, inflight maintenance technicians and airborne
linguists. When the RC-135C was fully deployed, SAC was able to retire its fleet of RB-47H Stratojets
from active reconnaissance duties. All ten continue in active service as either RC-135V Rivet Joint or RC-
135U Combat Sent platforms.

RC-135D Office Boy / Rivet Brass

The RC-135Ds, originally designated KC-135A-II, were the first reconnaissance configured C-135s given
the "R" MDS designation, although they were not the first reconnaissance-tasked members of the C-135
family. They were delivered to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska in 1962 as part of the Office Boy Project.
Serial numbers were 60–0356, 60–0357, and 60–0362. The aircraft began operational missions in 1963.
These three aircraft were ordered as KC-135A tankers, but delivered without refueling booms, and known
as "falsie C-135As" pending the delivery of the first actual C-135A cargo aircraft in 1961.[17]

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.
The RC-135D was also used in Southeast Asia during periods when the RC-135M (see below) was
unavailable. In the late 1970s, with the expansion of the RC-135 fleet powered by TF33 turbofan engines,
the RC-135Ds were converted into tankers, and remain in service as receiver-capable KC-135Rs.[17]

RC-135E Lisa Ann / Rivet Amber

Originally designated C-135B-II, project name Lisa Ann, the RC-135E Rivet Amber was a one-of-a-kind
aircraft equipped with a large 7 MW Hughes Aircraft phased-array radar system.[18] Originally delivered as
a C-135B, 62-4137 operated from Shemya Air Force Station, Alaska from 1966 to 1969. Its operations
were performed in concert with the RC-135S Rivet Ball aircraft (see below). 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.[19]

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. The power requirement for the
phased array radar was enormous, necessitating an additional power supply. This took the form of a podded
Lycoming T55-L5 turboshaft engine in a pod under the left inboard wing section, driving a 350 kVA
generator dedicated to powering mission equipment.[19]

On the opposite wing in the same location was a podded heat exchanger to permit cooling of the massive
electronic components on board the aircraft. This configuration has led to the mistaken impression that the
aircraft had six engines. On 5 June 1969, Rivet Amber was lost at sea on a ferry flight from Shemya to
Eielson AFB for maintenance, and no trace of the aircraft or its crew was ever found.[20]

RC-135M Rivet Card

The RC-135M was an interim type with more limited ELINT capability than the RC-135C but with
extensive additional COMINT capability. They were converted from Military Airlift Command C-135B
transports, and operated by the 82d Reconnaissance Squadron during the Vietnam War from Kadena AB,
gathering signals intelligence over the Gulf of Tonkin and Laos with the program name Combat Apple
(originally Burning Candy).[21] 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 and continue in active service as RC-135W
Rivet Joints by the early 1980s.[22]

RC-135S Nancy Rae / Wanda Belle / 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 31 December 1961. The aircraft first operated under the Nancy Rae
project as an asset of Air Force Systems Command and later as an RC-135S reconnaissance platform with
Strategic Air Command under project Wanda Belle. The name Rivet Ball was assigned in January 1967.
The aircraft operated from Shemya AFB, Alaska. Along with most other RC-135 variants, the RC-135S
had an elongated nose radome housing an S band receiving antenna.[18][23]
The aircraft had ten large optically flat quartz windows for tracking cameras on the right side of the
fuselage. Unlike any other RC-135S, Rivet Ball also had a plexiglass dome mounted top-center on its
fuselage for the Manual Tracker position. It obtained the first photographic documentation of Soviet
Multiple Reentry vehicle (MRV) testing on 4 October 1968. On 13 January 1969, Rivet Ball was destroyed
when it overran the runway when landing at Shemya, with no fatalities.[18][23]

RC-135S Cobra Ball

The RC-135S Cobra Ball is a measurement and signature

intelligence (MASINT) collector equipped with special electro-
optical instruments designed to observe ballistic missile flights at
long range. The Cobra Ball monitors missile-associated signals and
tracks missiles during boost and re-entry phases to provide
reconnaissance for treaty verification and theater ballistic missile
proliferation. The aircraft are extensively modified C-135Bs.[5] The
right wing and engines are traditionally painted black to reduce sun Two Cobra Ball aircraft on the
glare for tracking cameras.[24] flightline at Offutt Air Force Base,
Nebraska in 2001.
There are three aircraft in service, assigned to the 55th Wing, 45th
Reconnaissance Squadron based at Offutt Air Force Base,
Nebraska. 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. Two aircraft were converted
for Cobra Ball in 1969 and following the loss of an aircraft in 1981 another aircraft was converted in 1983.
The sole RC-135X was also converted into an RC-135S in 1995 to supplement the other aircraft.

RC-135T Rivet Dandy

KC-135T 55-3121 was modified to RC-135T Rivet Dandy configuration in 1971. It was used to
supplement the RC-135C/D/M fleet, then in short supply due to ongoing upgrades requiring airframes to be
out of service. It operated under the Burning Candy operational order. In 1973 the aircraft's SIGINT gear
was removed and transferred to KC-135R 58–0126, resulting in 55-3121 assuming the role of trainer, a role
which it fulfilled for the remainder of its operational existence. Externally the aircraft retained the 'hog nose'
radome and some other external modifications, but the aerial refueling boom and trapeze below the tail
were removed, and it had no operational reconnaissance role.[25]

In this configuration it operated variously with the 376th Strategic Wing at Kadena AB, Okinawa, the
305th AREFW at Grissom AFB, Indiana, and the 6th Strategic Wing at Eielson AFB, Alaska. In 1982 the
aircraft was modified with Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW102 engines and other modifications common to the
KC-135E tanker program, and returned to Eielson AFB. It crashed while on approach to Valdez Airport,
Alaska on 25 February 1985 with the loss of three crew members. The wreckage was not found until
August 1985, six months after the accident.[25]

RC-135U Combat Sent

The RC-135U Combat Sent is designed to collect technical intelligence on adversary radar emitter systems.
Combat Sent data is collected to develop new or upgraded radar warning receivers, radar jammers, decoys,
anti-radiation missiles, and training simulators.[5]
Distinctly identified by the antenna arrays on the fuselage chin,
tailcone, and wing tips, three RC-135C aircraft were converted to
RC-135U (63-9792, 64–14847, & 64–14849) in the early 1970s.
63-9792 was later converted into a Rivet Joint in 1978, and all
aircraft remain in service based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
Minimum crew requirements are 2 pilots, 2 navigators, 3 systems
engineers, 10 electronic warfare officers, and 6 area specialists.[26]

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

A Combat Sent aircraft in flight with
The RC-135V/W is the USAF's standard airborne SIGINT its unique nose cone, wingtips, and
platform. Missions flown by the RC-135s are designated either tail
Burning Wind or Misty Wind.[27] Its sensor suite allows the
mission crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout
the electromagnetic spectrum.[28] 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, An RC-135V Rivet Joint on final
approach at Kadena AB
Texas, under the oversight of the Air Force Materiel
Command.[5][28]

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.[28]

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 (If the aircraft are still equipped with the TF-33, then one of them
has thrust reversers and the other one not, that's why they used V and W) 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.

RC-135W Rivet Joint (Project Airseeker)

The United Kingdom bought three KC-135R aircraft for

conversion to RC-135W Rivet Joint standard[1] under the Airseeker
project.[29] Acquisition of the three aircraft was budgeted at £634m,
with entry into service in October 2014.[30] The aircraft formed
No. 51 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Waddington along with the
RAF's other ISTAR assets. They are expected to remain in service
until 2045.
A British RC-135W in 2018
Previously, the Royal Air Force had gathered signals intelligence with three Nimrod R1 aircraft,.[8] When
the time came to upgrade the maritime Nimrods to MRA4 standard, Project Helix was launched in August
2003 to study options for extending the life of the R1 out to 2025.[31] The option of switching to Rivet
Joint was added to Helix in 2008,[31] and the retirement of the R1 became inevitable when the MRA4 was
cancelled under the UK's 2010 defence review. The R1's involvement over Libya in Operation Ellamy
delayed its retirement until June 2011.

Helix became Project Airseeker, under which three KC-135R airframes were converted to RC-135W
standard by L-3 Communications. L-3 also provides ongoing maintenance and upgrades under a long-term
agreement. The three airframes are former United States Air Force KC-135Rs, all of which first flew in
1964 but were modified to the latest RC-135W standard before delivery. The three airframes on offer to the
UK are the youngest KC-135s in the USAF fleet.[32] As of September 2010 the aircraft had approximately
23,200 flying hours, 22,200 hours and 23,200 hours.[33]

51 Sqn personnel began training at Offutt in January 2011 for conversion to the RC-135.[34] The first RC-
135W (ZZ664) was delivered ahead of schedule to the Royal Air Force on 12 November 2013, for final
approval and testing by the Defence Equipment and Support team prior to its release to service from the
UK MAA. The second (ZZ665) was delivered on 4 September 2015 and the third (ZZ666) in June 2017;
the latter entered operational service in December 2017.[35][36]

RC-135X Cobra Eye

The sole RC-135X Cobra Eye was converted during the mid-to-late-1980s from a C-135B
Telemetry/Range Instrumented Aircraft, serial number 62–4128, with the mission of tracking ICBM reentry
vehicles.[37][38] In 1993, it was converted into an additional RC-135S Cobra Ball.[21][39]

TC-135

Three aircraft are in service for crew training, and lack fully functional mission equipment. One TC-135S
(62–4133) provides training capability for the Cobra Ball mission, and is distinguishable from combat-
ready aircraft by the lack of cheeks on the forward fuselage. It was converted from an EC-135B in 1985
following the crash of the former RC-135T 55–3121, which had been used as a trainer up to that point. In
addition, two TC-135Ws (62-4127 and 4129) serve as training aircraft primarily for the Rivet Joint mission,
but can also provide some training capability for RC-135U Combat Sent crews. They carry considerably
fewer antennas than the fully equipped aircraft, but are otherwise similar in appearance to other Rivet Joint
aircraft.

Operators
United States

United States Air Force – Air Combat Command

55th Wing – Offutt AFB, Nebraska

38th Reconnaissance Squadron

45th Reconnaissance Squadron
82d Reconnaissance Squadron (Kadena Air Base, Japan)
95th Reconnaissance Squadron (RAF Mildenhall, England)
338th Combat Training Squadron
 343d Reconnaissance Squadron

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force[40]

No. 1 Group – RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, England

No. 51 Squadron[41]
No. 54 Squadron (Operational Conversion Unit)[42]
No. 56 Squadron (Test and Evaluation)[43]

Accidents and incidents

On 17 July 1967, a KC-135R Rivet Stand, 59-1465, crashed on takeoff from Offutt Air Force
Base, Nebraska. The aircraft commander over-rotated the aircraft, causing it to stall and
crash just under a mile from the end of the runway on the edge of Papillion Creek. One of the
five crew members aboard was killed.[44]
On 13 January 1969, USAF RC-135S, 59-1491, called "Rivet Ball", was returning from an
operational reconnaissance mission, when it landed at Shemya Air Force Base, Alaska in a
snowstorm. The aircraft slid off the ice-covered runway and plunged into a 40-foot ravine.
Later "Ball" aircraft were equipped with thrust-reversers on their TF-33 turbofan engines, but
this aircraft had J-57 turbojet engines without reverse thrust capability. All eighteen crew
members successfully evacuated the aircraft. The aircraft was written off as damaged
beyond repair, but many components specific to the reconnaissance mission were salvaged
for later use.[45]
On 5 June 1969, USAF RC-135E, 62-4137, called "Rivet Amber", departed Shemya Air
Force Base, Alaska for a ferry flight to Eielson Air Force Base. Although the purpose of this
ferry flight is sometimes described as routine maintenance, in fact the aircraft had
encountered severe turbulence on its previous operational mission and had been cleared for
a one-time flight to be checked for possible structural damage at the main operating base.
"Rivet Amber" was the heaviest 135 series aircraft ever built and was a highly sophisticated
aircraft with a radar that weighed over 35,000 pounds and under each wing were
specialized pods housing a heat-exchanger (right wing) and an additional electrical
generator (left wing). During the flight all contact with 62-4137 was lost and the wreckage of
the aircraft was never found.[20]
On 15 March 1981, USAF RC-135S, 61-2664, called "Cobra Ball", crashed on final
approach in bad weather to Shemya Air Force Base, Alaska on a flight from Eielson Air
Force Base, Alaska. The aircraft commander never established a proper glide path or
descent rate on final and impacted the ground short of the runway. Of the twenty-four
occupants of the aircraft, six were killed.[46]
On 25 February 1985, USAF RC-135T, 55-3121, operating out of Eielson AFB, Alaska, was
flying practice approaches in very poor weather at the Valdez Municipal Airport, Alaska. This
one-time "Speed Light" aircraft had been re-engined with P&W TF-33 engines but was at
this time only used for proficiency training in landings and air refueling, not for operational
reconnaissance missions, but was sometimes called "Rivet Dandy". The first two
approaches were uneventful, but the crew apparently became disoriented and the third
Microwave Landing System (MLS) approach was commenced some four miles (6.4 km)
north of the prescribed MLS inbound course. The crew of three (two pilots and a navigator)
were killed when the aircraft flew into the side of a mountain. The approach procedure being
attempted was certified for a de Havilland Canada DHC-7, STOL airplane. Both the glide
slope and missed approach flight path were too steep for an RC-135 aircraft. The wreckage
was not located until 2 August 1985.[25]
 On 3 March 2003, two MiG-29 and MiG-23 of North Korean KPAAF intercepted RC-135S in
Sea of Japan with MiG-29 came within 50 feet of the aircraft with another locked onto it with
fire control radar in preparation to conduct a shoot down, RC-135S changed course towards
Japan and landed in Kadena airbase.[47]
On 30 April 2015, USAF RC-135V, 64-14848, operating out of Offutt AFB, NE aborted takeoff
on a routine training mission when crewmembers observed smoke and flames coming from
the aft galley. The aircraft commander aborted the takeoff at about 50 KIAS and the cockpit
crew, electronic warfare officers, intelligence operators and in-flight maintenance technicians
—27 individuals in all—evacuated the aircraft. Although there were no injuries, except for
minor smoke inhalation, the ensuing fire damaged aircraft control and mission related
systems. Total repair cost was estimated at $62.4 million US. The cause of the mishap was
failure by L3 Communications depot maintenance personnel to tighten a retaining nut
connecting a metal oxygen tube to a junction fitting above the galley. This resulted in an
oxygen leak and caused an oxygen-rich environment allowing adjacent materials to ignite.
The resulting fire melted the retaining nut and caused the tubing to become detached,
feeding even more oxygen to the fire, which increased in size and caused severe damage to
the airframe, galley and mission equipment aboard the aircraft. The oxygen line system
work, which was listed as the cause of this 2015 mishap, was carried out in August 2013.[48]
On 29 September 2022, an RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint plane interacted with two Russian SU-
27s, one of which released a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint beyond visual
range. Russia subsequently claimed this was due to a technical malfunction, and
acknowledged the incident took place over the Black Sea in international waters. The UK
defence secretary, Ben Wallace, declared “we are incredibly lucky that the episode did not
become worse”.[49]

Specifications (RC-135)
Data from USAF RC-135 Data Sheet [50]

General characteristics
Crew: 2 pilots, 2 navigator (flight crew)
Capacity: 21–27 depending on mission requirements, minimum consisting of 4 Electronic
Warfare Officers (Ravens), 14 Intelligence Operators and 4 Airborne Systems Engineers
(mission crew)
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 sq ft (226.0 m2)
Airfoil: root: BAC 310/311/312; tip: BAC 313[51]
Empty weight: 124,000 lb (56,245 kg)
Gross weight: 297,000 lb (134,717 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 322,500 lb (146,284 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × CFM International F-108-CF-201 turbofan engines, 22,000 lbf (98 kN)
thrust each

Performance
Maximum speed: 504 kn (580 mph, 933 km/h)
Range: 2,998 nmi (3,450 mi, 5,552 km)
 Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
Rate of climb: 4,900 ft/min (25 m/s)

See also
United Kingdom
portal
Aviation portal

Rivet Amber crash

Strategic Air Command

Related development

C-135 Stratolifter
KC-135 Stratotanker
Boeing EC-135
WC-135 Constant Phoenix

Related lists

List of active United States military aircraft

List of United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft

References
Citations

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Bibliography

Cobra Ball (https://fas.org/irp/program/collect/cobra_ball.htm) – Federation of American

Scientists
RC-135S Cobra Ball Air Force's optical intelligence collection platform (https://fas.org/irp/ag
ency/aia/cyberspokesman/97aug/cobra_ball.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201
60306205012/http://fas.org/irp/agency/aia/cyberspokesman/97aug/cobra_ball.htm) 6 March
2016 at the Wayback Machine – Federation of American Scientists

External links
Rivet Joint page on FAS.org (https://fas.org/irp/program/collect/rivet_joint.htm)
The RB-47 & RC-135 in Vietnam By Bruce Bailey (https://web.archive.org/web/2007060806
4109/http://www.55srwa.org/55_vietnam.html)
"A Tale of Two Airplanes" (http://www.RC135.com) by Kingdon R. "King" Hawes, Lt Col,
USAF (Ret.)
RC-135U Combat Sent Presentation, Capt Logan Schrank, September 2017 (https://www.off
utt.af.mil/Portals/97/Combat%20Sent%20Industry%20Visit%20Unclass%20Brief%20(CA
O%20Jul%2017).pdf?ver=2017-08-24-110339-703)
"RC-135 Rivet Joint" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Z3Nboioy8) on YouTube

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boeing_RC-135&oldid=1151204150"