The United Kingdom bought three KC-135R aircraft for conversion to the RC-135W Rivet Joint standard under the Airseeker Project. After acquisition the three aircraft entered service in October 2014. The three airframes are former United States Air Force KC-135Rs, all of which first flew in 1964 but were modified to the latest RC-135W standard before delivery. The three airframes on offer to the UK are the youngest KC-135s in the USAF fleet. The aircraft are assigned to the no 51 Squadron which is based at RAF Waddington.
The RC-135W is the airborne signal intelligence platform of the RAF. the RC-135s sensor suite allows the mission crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. The mission crew can then forward gathered information in a variety of formats to a wide range of consumers via Rivet Joint's extensive communications suite. The crew consists of the cockpit crew, electronic warfare officers, intelligence operators, and airborne systems maintenance personnel. On the specific flight shown here in the video, the aircraft had 39 persons on board.
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