How many RC 135u are there?
Boeing RC-135
| RC-135 | |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 1961 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary users | United States Air Force Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 32 total airframes in all iterations |
What does RC-135 stand for?
reconnaissance aircraft
RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft manufactured by Boeing. Boeing RC-135 is a four engine, medium weight reconnaissance aircraft designed and manufactured by Boeing Defence and Integrated Systems for the US Air Force (USAF).
What is Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint?
ROLE. 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.
How much does an RC-135 cost?
$330 million
The Airseeker is a SIGINT aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) based on the Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. Three KC-135R aircraft are to be purchased and converted to RC-135W Rivet Joint standard. The cost per airframe is believed to be $330 million.
How much is a RC-135 worth?
The cost per airframe is believed to be $330 million. The Airseeker is to replace the RAF Nimrod R1 in the signal intelligence role.
What is RC 135V?
The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint is the U.S. Air Force’s primary signals intelligence aircraft. The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft supports theater and national level consumers with near real time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities.
What can RC-135 do?
The RC-135 signals intelligence aircraft is fitted with an on-board sensor suite that allows the aircraft to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.
How many stratotankers are there?
United States Air Force operates 398 KC-135s (156 Active duty, 70 Air Force Reserve, and 172 Air National Guard) as of May 2017. Meta Aerospace operates 4 KC-135Rs. These aircraft were purchased from the Republic of Singapore Air Force when the latter retired them in 2019. They were delivered in late 2020.
What are the different variants of the RC-135?
The RC-135 has 14 variants which include RC-135A, RC-135B, RC-135C Big Team, RC-135D Rivet Brass, RC-135E Rivet Amber, RC-135M Rivet Card, RC-135S Rivet Ball, RC-135S Cobra Ball, RC-135T Rivet Dandy, RC-135T Trainer Configuration, RC-135U Combat Sent, RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, RC-135X Cobra Eye and RC-135W Air Seeker.
What is the history of the RC 135?
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.
What kind of aircraft is the RC-135U COMBAT SENT?
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.
What kind of engine does the Boeing RC-135 have?
The Boeing RC-135 is powered by four F108-CF-201 high bypass turbofan engines each of which can produce 21,000lbf of thrust. F108 is the US military designation of the CFM56 engine manufactured by CFM International. The engine reduces fuel consumption, noise and emissions as per the stringent FAR 33-6 ingestion rules.