How much does the RC-135 cost?

How much does the RC-135 cost?

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.

Where are rc135 stationed?

Offutt Air Force Base
The RC-135 fleet is permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska and operated by the 55th Wing, using forward operating locations worldwide.

What does the Boeing RC-135 do?

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. The aircraft is an extensively modified C-135.

How many RC 135S are there?

three RC-135S aircraft
There are three RC-135S aircraft in the Air Force inventory all assigned to Air Combat Command and permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

Who makes the RC 135?

Boeing
Boeing RC-135/Manufacturers

Airframe and Mission Systems RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft manufactured by Boeing. RC-135 aircraft is available in 14 variants.

Why do we have rivet joints?

These joints are most commonly used for fastenings sheets & shaped rolled metals. Riveted joints are used to join metal that cannot be welded or heated for ex – thin-walled parts made of sheet materials in aircrafts construction.

What is a Cobra Ball?

COBRA BALL is an Air Force airborne intelligence platform (RC-135) which carries infrared telescopes for tracking ballistic-missile tests at long range. Variants have been proposed for the operational detection of theater ballistic missile launches.

Can AWACS be jammed?

Most of the criticism of AWACS focused on its supposed vulnerability to jamming and attack by enemy fighters. In fact, the E-3A could be jammed or shot down—if an enemy was ready to devote enough resources and take enough losses to do it.

Are planes still riveted?

From the Airbus A330 to the Boeing 787, practically all commercial aircraft are manufactured with riveted joints instead of welded joints. With riveted joints, two components are connected using a fastener known as a rivet. There are different types of rivets, including lap joints and butt joints.

What is the RC-135S Cobra?

The RC-135S Cobra Ball is a rapidly deployable aircraft, which flies Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed missions of national priority to collect optical and electronic data on ballistic targets. This data is critical to arms treaty compliance verification, and development of U.S. strategic defense and theater missile defense concepts. Features

What is the RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft?

The RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft was developed by Boeing in the early 60 s from C-135 Stratolifter. It is a major variant of the C-135. This reconnaissance aircraft was adopted by the US Air Force in 1962 as the RC-135. It is referred by the Boeing company as the Model 739.

What kind of aircraft is the Boeing RC-135 Rivet?

Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint taking off from Offutt Air Force base. Boeing C-135 Stratolifter is the base model for RC-135. 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).

When did the Boeing RC-135 come out?

The Boeing RC-135 was introduced in January 1964. The aircraft were initially assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC) and later migrated to Air Combat Command (ACC) in 1992.