A Royal Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, escorted by two Typhoon fighter jets, recently conducted a flight over the Black Sea to monitor Russian military activities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The RC-135 W Rivet Joint is designed for “signals intelligence” missions.
This is not a new occurrence—it’s actually quite a routine practice. The United Kingdom has been gathering intelligence on Russian military forces long before the invasion of Ukraine. It’s important to note that these flights are intended to be visible, ensuring that both the public and Russia are aware of their presence.
According to the Royal Air Force’s website, the RC-135 W Rivet Joint is a specialized signals intelligence aircraft that can be used in any theater of operations for both strategic and tactical missions. Its sensors “absorb” electronic emissions from communication devices, radars, and other systems: “The RC-135W Rivet Joint is operated by multi-role Weapon Systems Officers (WSO) and Weapon Systems Operators (WSOp), whose mission is to analyze elements of the electromagnetic spectrum to gather intelligence for commanders.” The aircraft is based on the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter, and its equipment is produced by various companies, including General Dynamics, Lockheed, LTV, E-Systems, and L-3 Communications.
The Royal Air Force notes that the Rivet Joint has been actively involved in Operation Shader and other operational tasks. It is officially named Airseeker, but is almost universally known by its designation RC-135W Rivet Joint. The UK operates three of these aircraft.
Source: Ukdefencejournal
