Pentagon: Russian Fighter Conducted ‘Unsafe’ Intercept of U.S. Recon Plane Over Black Sea

According to the Pentagon, a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker intercepted a RC-135U Combat Sent “flying a routine route in international airspace over the Black Sea.
The statement indicated the U.S. is “looking into this particular incident.”
The fighter came close and its thrust “disturbed the controllability” of the U.S. surveillance aircraft.
The intercept of the RC-135U – designed to record radar emissions from potential adversaries to develop countermeasures — is the latest of a string of incidents between NATO and Russian forces since Russia seized control of the Crimean region of Ukraine in 2014.
The incident is the latest in a string of intercepts since over the last two years that the Pentagon has deemed unsafe.
The Pentagon has labeled several intercepts of variants of the RC-135 surveillance planes over the Baltic, Black Sea and the Pacific Ocean at the edge of Russian controlled airspace as “unprofessional” and “provocative.”
In 2014 a Russian Sukhoi SU-24 Fencer made repeated passes over USSDonald Cook (DDG-75), a ballistic missile destroyer, while it was conducting operations in the Black Sea.
Later that year, the Canadian frigate HMCS Toronto was buzzed by Fencers operating in the Black Sea.
Russian officials have complained of the uptick in U.S. surveillance flights since 2014.
“US RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft carry out flights almost daily,” Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev, commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, said in late 2014.
“In 2014, more than 140 RC-135 flights have taken place compared to 22 flights in 2013.”
usni

100th Sortie for RAF Airseeker and Sentinel against ISIS

The Royal Air Force’s newest surveillance aircraft, RC-135 Airseeker, and the RAF Sentinel battlefield surveillance aircraft both reached a major milestone last week as they flew their 100th operational sorties in the fight against ISIL.
raf.mod.uk

RAF Receives Second RC-135 Rivet Joint 7 Months Ahead of Schedule

As part of its Airseeker Programme, the second signals intelligence aircraft has been delivered to the RAF, seven months early, the MOD has announced.
The specialist surveillance aircraft was handed over today at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and will be deployable on operations within a matter of weeks.
Since delivery of the first aircraft last year, over 60 improvements have been incorporated into the second aeroplane ranging from upgrades to the aircraft’s mission systems to engine improvements providing increased fuel efficiency and durability.
raf.mod

UK To Send Two Sentinel to fight ISIS

UK's Defence Secretary announced that the UK will be sending two Sentinel aircraft to the Middle East to provide wide area surveillance over Iraq of ISIL activity and to track IED laying activity. These aircraft will join our Tornados and Reaper UAV which have conducted 194 strikes over Iraq as of 23 March and have continued to gather vital intelligence alongside Rivet Joint.
The UK continues to be the second largest contributor to the coalition airstrike campaign againts ISIS.
gov.uk

UK To Add Reapers to Air Power Operating in Iraq

Britain is adding Reaper remotely piloted aircraft to its forces deployed to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Defence Secretary said in a statement to Parliament that surveillance and strike missions conducted by the Reaper will start shortly and build up as the aircraft are withdrawn from Afghanistan, where they have been operating for several years in support of NATO’s fight against the Taliban.
The indications are that two Reapers will be deployed initially. Britain has 10 of the General Atomics-built machines.
The Royal Air Force Reapers will boost a British strike force against the Islamic State comprising eight Tornado jets, a Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft and an inflight refuelling aircraft.
defensenews

UK RAF Has Been Flying RC-135 Over Northern Iraq

The UK has been secretly flying its most advanced surveillance aircraft, the newly acquired RC-135 Rivet Joint over northern Iraq during the humanitarian crisis there, the Defence Secretary has revealed.
sky

USAF RC-135 intrudes Swedish airspace to avoid being intercepted by Russian fighters

The Cold War aerial games of chicken portrayed in the movie "Top Gun" are happening in real life again nearly 30 years later.

A U.S. Air Force spy plane evaded an encounter with the Russian military on July 18, just a day after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed by a suspected surface-to-air missile that Ukraine and the West allege was fired by pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The RC-135 Rivet Joint fled into nearby Swedish airspace without that country's permission. The airplane may have gone through other countries' airspace as well, though it's not clear if it had permission to do so.
The U.S. plane had been flying in international airspace, conducting an electronic eavesdropping mission on the Russian military, when the Russians took the unusual action of beginning to track it with land-based radar.
The Russians then sent at least one fighter jet into the sky to intercept the aircraft, the U.S. official said Saturday.
The spy plane crew felt so concerned about the radar tracking that it wanted to get out of the area as quickly as possible, the official said. The quickest route away from the Russians took them into Swedish airspace.U.S. officials acknowledged that was done without Swedish military approval.
As a result of this incident, the United States is discussing the matter with Sweden and letting officials know there may be further occurrences where American jets have to divert so quickly they may not be able to wait for permission.
The incident was first reported by the Swedish media group DN.se. Russian officials did not provide any immediate reaction about the encounter.
This was at least the second potentially-dangerous encounter between a U.S. plane and Russia over the past few months. On April 23, a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet buzzed within 100 feet of the nose of a U.S. Air Force RC-135U reconnaissance plane over the Sea of Okhotsk between Russia and Japan.
Russian fighter jet nearly collided with U.S. military plane in April
Russian and U.S. aircraft often encounter each other, both in Northern Europe as well as the area between the Russian Far East and Alaska. But the official said the land radar activity by the Russians in this instance was unusual.
edition

Russian SU-27 Flew Within 100 Feet of USAF RC-135 in North of Japan

At the height of recent tensions between the US and Russia in April, an armed Russian fighter jet flew within 100 feet of a US Air Force RC-135U and taunted the intelligence-gathering aircraft with an aggressive maneuver over international waters north of Japan.
The April 23 incident involved a Russian SU-27 Flanker over the Sea of Okhotsk along Russia’s east.
The RC-135U is an aircraft retrofitted as a long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
The Russian fighter “crossed the nose” within 100 feet of the US aircraft and “turned a little bit to expose its belly” to the American pilots and show that it was armed with air-to-air missiles, officials said.
The pilots had no radio communication.
The incident prompted senior US military leaders to contact Russia and express concern.
It was at least the second provocative move by the Russian military in April.
On April 12, a Russian fighter jet made repeated, “provocative,” close-range, low-altitude passes above the US Navy destroyer Donald Cook while it was steaming in the Black Sea. In that incident, the Russian SU-24 Fencer did not appear to be carrying weapons.
defensenews

RC-135 Rivet Joint first RAF flight

The first RC-135W flight with a Royal Air Force crew in the U.K. has been completed.

UK's Rivet Joint Wins Interim Approval To Fly

Britain’s new Rivet Joint RC-135W aircraft has secured an interim release to service allowing the signals intelligence platform to fly for the first time since it was delivered last November.
The aircraft, part of the Airseeker program, has been grounded at the Royal Air Force base at Waddington awaiting approval for release to service by the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) and others at the Ministry of Defence.
The vintage age of the original design and the unavailability of some design and qualification evidence has posed problems for RAF safety authorities conducting the release to service approval process.
The RC-135W’s are the first of three signals intelligence aircraft due to be delivered to the Royal Air Force by the US government under an Foreign Military Sales agreement signed in 2010.
The aircraft are 50-year-old KC-135 tankers upgraded and modified to the Rivet Joint configuration.
The aircraft has recently been granted interim approval pending a full release to service later in the year and flew for the first time May 23.
The aircraft is on track to enter service by the end of the year. A second Rivet Joint is scheduled for delivery next year and the final aircraft should be handed over two years later.
Britain axed its remaining Nimrod R1 signals intelligence aircraft after the 2011 military campaign in Libya.
Royal Air Force air and grounds crews have been co-manning US Air Force Rivet Joint aircraft and ground stations with American personnel to retain skills and operational capabilities.
defensenews

UK May Waive Rivet Joint Certification Requirements

Britain may waive its normal aircraft certification process to approve Royal Air Force operation of the RC-135W Rivet Joint.
The age of the Boeing 707-based airframe means Rivet Joint will not meet current or previous UK certification regulations in place before the MAA was formed in 2010.
The likely change to RC-135W certification requirements is contained in a report warning that shortages of qualified and experienced safety staff at DE&S could undermine military air safety.
DE&S, the procurement arm of the Ministry of Defence, purchased three RC-135Ws in a 2010 deal with L-3 Communications. L-3 is converting 50-year-old KC-135 tankers into the Rivet Joint configuration to replace Nimrod R1 aircraft taken out of service.
The first of the aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule in November, but it has yet to fly again. The plane, known in British service as the Airseeker, is on track to enter service at the end of this year.
Due to the age of the original Boeing 707 design and the unavailability of certain design and qualification evidence, it is unlikely that the full UK certification requirement will be satisfied and a waiver may be required.
defensenews

First British Rivet Joint Aircraft Delivered To The UK

The first of three Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft has been delivered to the UK ahead of its entry into service with the RAF next year.
The aircraft will form part of project Airseeker, which will provide the UK with a world class capability able to provide real time on scene intelligence, surveillance and analysis to forces in the air and on the ground.
The MoD has purchased three aircraft from the US which will each be configured to support UK operations.
raf

Hard-up RAF flies second-hand RC-135 jets in US air force colours to save £3million cost of repainting them in British colours

The RAF's new fleet of second-hand spy planes will fly in U.S. colours because defence bosses say it is not cost effective to repaint them.
Instead of the air force's uniform light grey, the three RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft, which were bought from the U.S., will keep their design of a white top, black nose and grey underside.
The Ministry of Defence said it would cost £3million to repaint them.
dailymail

RAF, USAF Work On Rivet Joint Refueling Deal

The UK Royal Air Force and the USAF are working on a memorandum of understanding which will give the UK access to tankers equipped with refueling booms to support its fleet of RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence-gathering aircraft.
aviationweek

U.K. Rivet Joint - First "Official" Picture

USAF Photographers have snapped the first RC-135 Rivet Joint destined for the U.K. Royal Air Force.
Tony Osborne-aviationweek

UK's first RC-135 Airseeker rolled out

L-3 Communications has rolled out the first UK Royal Air Force RC-135 Airseeker signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft, the US Air Force's intelligence chief has revealed.
"I was also, about three weeks ago, down in Greenville, Texas, at the L-3 facility with Big Safari [the USAF office overseeing the development of intelligence platforms], rolling out the first UK Rivet Joint," says Lt Gen Larry James. "Their chief of staff came down and we had a great ceremony there."
James says he expects the RAF aircraft to be an integral part of the "worldwide intelligence collection process" for both the UK and USA.
flightglobal

RAF’s first RC-135 will enter operational service in October 2014

The Royal Air Force's first of three Airseeker electronic intelligence aircraft will enter operational service in October 2014, following an on-time delivery in December 2013, one of the UK's defence ministers has confirmed.
Acquired for conversion from retired US Air Force Boeing KC-135 tankers by L-3 Communications in Greenville, Texas, the RAF's future Airseekers will be prepared and kept in a common configuration with the USAF's RC-135W Rivet Joint platforms.

alert5

flightglobal

Leaked Image Shows First RAF Rivet Joint

Aviation Week has posted an image of the first RC-135 for the Royal Air Force.

The RAF has three RC-135s on order, making the U.K. the first export customer for the RC-135V/W Sigint jets. The aircraft have been converted from a trio of 1964-vintage Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers.

The three aircraft were ordered by the Ministry of Defence in March 2010 and the first aircraft is expected to roll out early next year. Once in service, the aircraft will be operated by No. 51 Sqn which famously operated the Nimrod R1, an aircraft which for many years the RAF refused to disclose as being in operation because of the type’s intelligence gathering capabilities. In preparation for the Rivet Joint’s arrival, 51 Sqn crews have been flying missions with the 55th Wing to gain experience on the type. It is understood that the aircraft will be christened Airseeker in RAF service.

The aircraft distinctly lacks an air-to-air refuelling probe and given the RAF has not ordered a boom for its Voyager tankers, the new Airseekers will end up being dependent on USAF or tankers from other nations for refuelling.


alert5

Tony Osborne-aviationweek

UK's first RC-135W Airseeker on track for 2013 delivery

The Royal Air Force's first RC-135W Airseeker electronic intelligence aircraft is on track for delivery in December 2013, with conversion work running on schedule, says the UK's Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organisation.

learn more

Tripulaciones de la RAF comienzan a entrenarse en el Rivet Joint/ RAF crews begin Rivet Joint training

El Ministerio de Defensa británico ha confirmado que personal del 51 Squadron con base en RAF Waddington,Lincolnshire, han completado su primera semana de entrenamiento con la USAF en el RC-135w "Rivet Joint", en la base aérea de Offutt,Nebraska. La RAF dispondrá de tres RC-135W ‘Rivet Joint’ en 2014.
Cuatro tripulaciones británicas se desplegarán junto a tripulaciones norteamericanas en misiones por todo el mundo, Afganistán incluído.
El entrenamiento durará de tres a cinco meses. Una vez completado, las tripulaciones volverán al Reino Unido, para integrarse en el 343 Escuadron de Reconocimiento del ala 55 con base en RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk. Este escuadrón perderá sus Nimrod R1 el treinta y uno de marzo.
key.Aero
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The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that personnel from 51 Squadron normally based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire have completed their first week of training with the US Air Force at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on the RC-135W ‘Rivet Joint’ aircraft, of which the RAF is to get three from 2014.
Up to four crews will deploy from the summer with their US colleagues on combined operations worldwide, including Afghanistan. Pilots, navigators and electronic warfare officers in addition to intelligence operators and airborne maintenance technicians are amongst those being trained.
Training will take between three and five months depending on specific crew positions. Once this is complete, the RAF aircrew members will return to the UK and be attached to the 55th Wing's 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, flying missions from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. The squadron will lose its remaining two Nimrod R1s on March 31.
key.Aero