Boeing RC-135

RC-135
An RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft in flight.
General information
TypeReconnaissance aircraft
ManufacturerBoeing (airframe)
L3Harris Technologies
StatusActive
Primary usersUnited States Air Force
Number built32 total airframes in all iterations
History
Introduction date1961
Developed fromBoeing C-135 Stratolifter

The Boeing RC-135 is a family of large reconnaissance aircraft built by Boeing and modified by a number of companies, including General Dynamics, Lockheed, LTV, E-Systems, L3Harris 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-135 fleet, with the exception of the RAF's RC-135Ws, is internally designated as the Model 739 by the company. Many variants have been modified numerous times, resulting in a large variety of designations, configurations, and program names.

  1. ^ Hoyle, Craig (22 March 2010). "UK approves Rivet Joint purchase". Flight International. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  2. ^ "First Rivet Joint aircraft delivered to the UK". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Historical Perspective, Start of a PROUD MISSION" Archived 12 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Boeing Frontiers, July 2006.
  4. ^ "KC-135". US Warplanes.net. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2012.

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