
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has taken delivery of the first RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft acquired from the US under the Airseeker project, at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, UK.
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Delivered after successful completion of flight trials at a facility in Greenville, Texas, US earlier this year, the aircraft is scheduled to enter operational service with the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) No. 51 Squadron in 2014.
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Three RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft along with the associated ground systems were purchased by the MoD under a $1bn deal in March 2010, to help address the capability gap generated by the retirement of the RAF’s Nimrod R1 fleet, the following year.
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Defence Equipment and Support Air Support director air vice-marshal Peter Ewen said the delivery represents a significant milestone in the procurement pathway for the future Airseeker SIGINT capability for the national defence.
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”A testament to the ongoing and highly effective UK/US co-operation in the procurement programme, support and RAF aircrew training, this first of three aircraft will form a vital component of the nation’s future ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) capabilities,” Ewen said.
Joint Forces Command Capability director air vice-marshal Phil Osborn said, ”We plan to have our Airseeker programme – comprising all three Rivet Joint aircraft with their highly skilled aircrew, ground crew and analysts – fully operational by mid-2017.”
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The RAF Rivet Joint aircraft are modified variants of the former US Air Force’s (USAF) KC-135R tankers, with refurbishment carried out by L-3 Communications in the US, at a per-unit cost of £180m, FlightGlobal reports.
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The 51 Squadron has been training and operating alongside USAF personnel in preparation for the arrival of the aircraft since 2011.
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The remaining two aircraft are scheduled to be delivered over the next four years.
Image: The Royal Air Force’s first RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft arrives at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, UK. Photo: Senior Aircraftman Blake Carruthers, Crown copyright.