A British RC-135 surveillance aircraft has completed a deployment monitoring Russian forces in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, Belarus north of Ukraine as well as Russian forces in and around Crimea on the Black Sea.

The RC-135W Rivet Joint and its sensors are designed to undertake ‘signals intelligence’ missions, in other words they ‘soak up’ electronic emissions from communications, radars and other systems.

 

The flight took place yesterday afternoon and returned later in the day. You can watch a time-lapse of the flight in the tweet below.

What does the RC-135W do?

According to the Royal Air Force website, the RC-135W Rivet Joint is a dedicated electronic surveillance aircraft that can be employed in all theatres on strategic and tactical missions. Its sensors ‘soak up’ electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems.

“RC-135W Rivet Joint employs multidiscipline Weapons System Officer (WSO) and Weapons System Operator (WSOp) specialists whose mission is to survey elements of the electromagnetic spectrum in order to derive intelligence for commanders.”

The Royal Air Force say that Rivet Joint has been deployed extensively for Operation Shader and on other operational taskings. It had been formally named Airseeker, but is almost universally known in service as the RC-135W Rivet Joint.

The UK operates three of these aircraft.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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115 COMMENTS

    • It takes 4hrs to get on station from Waddington. It not only the UK providing mission sweeps and we carefully coordinate with our partners. Hope this helps

  3. They’re going to be very busy very soon… just like every other intelligence asset we have and at the wash-up maybe the pollies will finally realise we needed more Astute, earlier and more T26, 45 and acknowledgement that letting go of Russian language specialists was a mistake…

    Let’s just hope some are still breathing.

    • Bearing in mind that they all see the same Intel, we have a clear split in NATO with Ukraine’s politicians and top military openly backing up the French/German position of there being no evidence of the Russians actually building a strike force, as opposed to moving troops here and there. It seems very possible that our intel assets are going to be having a well earned rest soon.

      It seems that almost everyone is accusing the US/UK of winding this up over the past 2 months due to their own domestic political needs with the UK seen as a lapdog of the US. The Ukrainian population have been the fall guys in this with the unfortunate result of causing serious stress in Ukraine itself with shortages and inflated interest rates. This is, sad to say, normal US and often UK behavior, never showing any consideration for locals affected by their actions viz Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Syria etc etc.

      On top of this, the EU are having to give them an emergency 1.2B Euro loan. As a result we are really pissing off the French at a time when, for a whole ream of real world issues, we need their help. This seems to me like a massive faus pas by the UK that we will live to regret.

      Fortunately today a Normandy Four meeting is taking place, the main subject of discussion not being the possible Russian attack but how to action the Minsk Protocol, signed off unanimously by the UNSC and not implemented by Kiev.

      As many of you here have commented on, I have said from the start that no war is going to start in the Ukraine unless they attack Donbas. This is increasingly looking to be the case.

      • I really have to disagree as I am talking to people from Latvia based in Brussels and rhe situation is grave.

        I’ll leave @airbourne to give the lock, stock, double barrelled response to your post.

        • A Latvian may indeed regard the situation as grave but Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar joins President Zelensky, NSDC secretary Danilov, and other gov officials in urging Ukrainians to remain calm, saying no signs of imminent Russian invasion. Kyiv’s statements contrast with those of US, NATO. Ukrainian Hanna Malyar, for example, said the number of Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s borders “are not enough for a full-scale invasion.” on Yahoo 16 hours ago.

          • The reality is the Ukraine need their populations to believe an invasion will not happen. This is a basic need for social order, but I’m betting my bottom dollar that the Ukraine military are not assuming an invasion will not happen.

            Putin May or may not invade Ukraine, I think it’s unlikely but everyone thought the First World War would never happen, until it did, shattering a new age of developing globalisation and leading to half a century of bloodletting and the Cold War.

            The trust is its not the US and U.K. driving this particular Geopolitical play, its Putin. Putin has seen a growing weakness in NATO and he’s decided to test it he will keep pushing until he leavers what he wants or NATO convinces him he’s not going to get it.

            The US rhetoric has all been about discussion and Providing support to Ukraine which is about right. Russia is making the Geopolitical push here, the US, U.K. and other NATO countries are counter that geopolitical push, some NATO countries have got themselves in a really bad situation by allowing the selves to become resource dependent on a Geopolitical opponent and that was a move of epic stupidity so Germany is made to look weak and foolish ( this is how Putin will see them).

        • It’s not worth engaging with our resident Ruskie.

          He’s always all over these article comments trying to sound reasonable and learned, but really is just a shill for Russia.

      • Your Russian bias Ivan is showing in which you lack total reality , the Ukraine deputy prime minister would have something to say about your delusions.

          • Well it seems you get your Info from Russian stat media Ivan so delusional are your views lol , me various sources not restricted by a autocracy state, as I said your lack of reality shows.

          • I think this sums up Dave12 nicely … in a previous exchange I posted an article written in a US foreign policy journal by an analyst from the US Centre for Naval Analysis and he labelled me a Russian! Classic Dave12!

          • Well Roy I said to you at the time I misread your link, I’m man enough to admit my errors as for JohninMK thinks Salisbury was the making of the UK government ,and nothing todo with GRU agents , do you agree with him?

          • I don’t recall much about Salisbury offhand, but what I do recall is that, at the time, it had the hallmarks of a Russian intel operation – similar to the umbrella poisoning they did in London more than 40 years ago – at that time apparently using Bulgarian intelligence as the surrogate. But that doesn’t mean the West should risk war over Ukraine. So I would see them as two separate issues.

          • My point being there’s looking at both sides of the story but Salisbury evidence just in public eye is over whelming , the GRU agents have been named ID (Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga) and seen on CCTV 5min walk away from the Skirpals house for a few examples , so its very bizarre for any one who lives in the UK with all his marbles to think its was the UK gov behind it. As for the Ukraine I agree NATO should supply the Ukraine’s and do nothing more and I don’t think NATO has to anything, its Putin’s mistake the ball is in his park.

          • MI6 should be tasked with responding directly to whatever Russian intelligence is doing in the UK. No press releases, no fake outrage. Just act. That will get Russian attention faster than these nonsensical public statements. What I object to in British (and Western) policy is the constant pretending. Identify your interests and develop the capabilities to defend them. But for God’s sake, stop the fake pretending.

          • Unless the Russians themselves highlight it!

            Like the “rocks” business in Moscow.

            To be fair since the end of the Cold War SIS / CIA have screwed them over big time, as “the winners”

          • I agree, Roy.

            A few points, Security Service ( MI5 ) would lead in UK centric counter espionage activities. SIS ( MI6 ) is overseas.

            Another issue is the usual one, lack of mass. Due to the Islamist terrorist/extremist problem much of the SS resources are devoted to that, or to domestic CT in N Ireland.
            Last figure I read in the annual ISC docs was as little as 20% goes on other things like state espionage, Russian and Chinese. Far too little.

            The intelligence community would act as best it can. The pretending is the usual political grandstanding.

          • A serious response would be to get the attention of the adversary that a line has been crossed and that because of that, pain will follow. How would the Israelis have responded? With an “inquiry” followed by endless public “outrage”? By cutting Israeli defence capabilities?

            For that matter, how would the Russians respond were the circumstances exactly reversed?

            In the West there is this belief that statements and gestures are the same as real action.

      • John I have to disagree with your thesis. After three rounds of talks at a very senior level, and not just US/Russia, there is no sign that the rate of build up is slackening, the Russians now have a serious number of troops all within a very few miles of the Ukrainian border, and are continuing to make very detailed demands to force a major withdrawal of NATO support for the newer eastern members. They know that these demands cannot be met so they can hide behind the excuse that “it’s not our fault”.
        I commend to you an article written by William Hague in yesterdays Times, where he compares Putins behaviour with that of a skilled judoka, and of course Putin is a black belt in that sport. The art of winning in judo is to wait until your opponent is off balance and then strike. Looking at the major nations in NATO the US is being run by a President who is looking decidedly weak and tired, we have a buffoon in charge and are more concerned over his inability to recognise a party when he attends it, the French have an election in April, the Germans have only just got a coalition in place and are terrified that the gas will get turned off, and the Italians don’t seem to care. NATO and Europe are decidedly off balance so he feels he can push hard and see what he can get.
        If it does come to fighting, and I fear it might, the interesting part for the Russians is how they react when the casualties start coming home. From all I am seeing the Ukrainians are going to have a damn good try at giving them a very bloody nose. If you go back to your history books and look at what Stalin and his satraps did to Ukraine in the 1930’s and again after 1944 you can remind yourself as to why they really want to be released from the dead hand of Russia.

        • I agree that the Russians have picked an excellent time to pressure the US and NATO for all the reasons you state plus some more. The best opportunity yet as Russia.

          We do not know, and may not know what is going on at the top level in terms of an agreement. All we can go on is what we see happening and what politicians say.

          Again I believe that Russia will only attack Ukraine if Russian citizens in Donbas are put at risk. If that happens it is unlikely that many Russians will need to cross the border, only their munitions will.

          Ukraine was released from Russia in 1991 and further in 2004 and again in 2014. They signed the Minsk Protocol, as did the US/UK in the UNSC that was a route to peace, but never implemented it due mainly from right wing pressure.They have made a mess of their country themselves.

      • “Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense…” George Orwell 1984

          • Or more appropriately in this case “War is Peace” as we are very much looking at control via a made up War or in this case the threat of one (the NATO threat to Russia).

      • John having an alternate view with alternate sources of news and intel is important, and brings another dynamic to the situation which needs to be considered. However your continued apologist and excuses for the behaviour of Putin and your continued detrimental and negative, and on occasion disrespectful comments on both the UK and the military is starting to grow tiresome. And is in fact quite an easy and obvious red flag, to a most basic int assessment in regard to your actual view and intentions of the situation. Some call you Ivan, some don’t, but the vast majority of posters will be quietly coming to a view which would seem you are either an obvious, but polite and well read troll, or someone with an actual direct link and gaining benefit from attempting to justify what is (and was in 2014 an illegal invasion which you forget when you mention Minsk 11) a threatening and bullying action. Cheers.

        • Interesting. I comment for myself and no-one else and everything I write here is based on my interpretation of the information I am able to glean and my life experience.

          Like I suspect everyone else here, I have no access to the corridors of power where what is actually happening is known. All I write comes from official announcements wherever possible, followed by reports of actual events and then analysis and comments by others. I act in many ways as an information consolidator scouring for news.

          I try to write in a balanced way and I do not start with an anti Russia or pro West perspective. This puts me immediately at odds with many here which is a pity. My UK related critical comments don’t give me any pleasure, they are a reflection of the way the country is being run and how others outside it view us.

          Some of what I write might be uncomfortable or even unbelievable but only time will tell if what I write is correct or not.

          • Thank you for your considerate response, many points but I will just pick out one “how others outside see us”, observed you only point out the negatives that you say “others outside see us”, would that be everyone or just the news forums you that you get your info from? As many many people and nations see us much differently and in a more positive, constructive and essential way than your perceived sources.

      • It’s a difficult situation. Ukraine is trying to do everything to keep thing running as normal as panic helps no one. From conversations with tanks crew etc on the Ukrainian side they said they have been training extra hard recently especially evasion tactics etc. (Hit and run basically. Also the ground is still a little soft for a full scale invasion to run smoothly. Ideally frozen solid is best.
        Main question has to be why is Russia massing troops on the border? What intention does that appear to send.
        Fingers crossed it’s just all for show and practice.

        • Spot on. The main reason given for the Russian troops and equipment positioning in the south is to show Kiev that if they attack Donbas, they have said they will use force to recover the territory, there are sufficient Russian forces in position to make that a suicide type move. It has been like that since last Spring and so far it looks to have worked as a strategy.

      • The chickens of Constantinople 1054 are coming home to roost. Just because you are paranoid, Vladimir, doesn’t mean to say they are not out to get you 😉

  4. Where is Ben Wallace, the SoS Defence? One wonders whether he has had another nervous breakdown – as he did on TV during the Afghan withrawal – and is currently indisposed

    Surely the UK defence community is entitled to a comment from the Defence Secretary concerning the Ukraine crisis? Especially as the PM has threatened to send a contingent of the Army to reinforce NATO in eastern Europe.

    • David wrote:
      “”Especially as the PM has threatened to send a contingent of the Army to reinforce NATO in eastern Europe.””

      The media are being a little remiss here, the troops will be sent to Estonia and not the Ukraine as they have been recklessly surreptitiously hinting at.

      As for Ben Wallace, he has just set up a meeting with Sergei Shoiguthe Russian defence minister which is more than what anybody else (bar the Yanks ) have done. 5 days ago he was in Australia meeting up with their Defence minister :
      https://i.postimg.cc/TYtv8nfg/FJnr-XODVc-AUs-Dt9.jpg

      • …..and as troop numbers continue to fall and armour/tanks going out of fashion in the B.A. I suppose any likely deployment would be cardboard cutouts and WW11 blow up tanks.

        • There is that and the discussions on here have illuminated that going down the road of disarmament has left us in the same position the Uk was during the mid 1930s. However it must be pointed out that this is a trait found all across the Western world and that our Political masters since 2000 have taken no notice of how Russia/China/Iran and Venezuela have been busy rearming and continued down the path of “don’t be stupid , not only do we have a better military , but we spend far too much money on the military anyway” to anybody who has pointed out that actually the likes of Russia are up to no good.  And it’s a trait they will continue to walk down and as bad as the tories have been regards the MOD, they are actually a lot better (Not saying that’s a good thing) than any other political party who in their 2019 manifestoes pointed in the direction of cutting even further into the defence budget.  
          Finally we have to admit that the political landscape is changing and that to those who have grown up during the peaceful times from the 1990s onwards, the White straight British male is a dinosaur, who is responsible for all the ills of the world and they have no problems sucking up to the teat of misinformation regards Moscow and the Ukraine that is currently doing the rounds .I mean only the otherday Simon Jenkins at the Guardian knocked out a piece on how NATO is the aggressor, that Russia is the victim and we should simply hand over Eastern Ukraine to Moscow as it’s the right thing to do.

          • A read through Simon’s columns from the last couple of years makes one wonder who is actually paying his bills, especially when it comes to articles relating to national security… His back-catalog reads like a St Petersburg troll farm wish list…

            “A measure of autonomy in eastern Ukraine is the only way out of this crisis”
            “Britain should stay well out of Russia’s border dispute [!] with Ukraine” (my emphasis)
            “Boris Johnson’s military alliance in the Pacific is reckless post-imperial nostalgia”
            “In Britain, we want to blame anyone for chaos in Afghanistan but ourselves”
            “Sanctions are imposed by the sanctimonious and achieve nothing”
            “The amount the UK spends on defence can’t be justified – so we rely on piffle”
            “‘Getting tough’ on China makes headlines, but abroad nobody cares what Johnson says”
            “Billions extra for defence? This is Boris Johnson showing off his power”
            “Britain’s reaction to the Salisbury poisonings plays into Putin’s hands”
            “The London arms fair is an inexcusable disgrace – it’s a stain the nation”
            “Someone please tell Jeremy Hunt: Britain no longer rules the waves”
            “It’s time to move on from these overblown commemorations of war”

            The list goes on and on and on…

          • All very typical Guardian Liberalism Daniele, Neville Chamberlain would thoroughly approve.

            It’s crammed full of UK ‘apologists’, ( a peculiarly British disease), flogging their own backs and ashamed of being British….

            Had Corbyn won the 2019 election, there would be a picture of him at Heathrow waving a bit of white paper!

          • I haven’t read the article and know little about the author, but the quotes you selected (apart from the last) seem to be bang on the money. We may be a dynamic economy but we no longer have the money to be throwing our weight around the World.

          • I don’t think you are qualified Ivan with views of the status of the UK economy or any on the UK considering you cannot determine the difference between a democracy and autocracy , or obvious evidence in Salisbury that the GRU was behind it as you think our gov was behind it lol , the UK is the fifth richest nation ,Russia does not even make the top ten .

          • Ah Salisbury… that bucket list tourist destination for Russian intelligence officers… or what was it they claimed they were… “sports nutritionalists”… haha! I wonder what “Ruslan” and “Alexander” are getting up to at the moment… not on the Ukraine border I guess, far too slushy this time of year 😂

          • Exactly. But you claimed we didn’t have the money, not that we didn’t have the military.

            We have the money. It’s just that Russia spends a higher proportion of its income on the military. The solution for Global Britain is obvious.

          • Yes, here in the UK we the public have a bigger say than they do in Russia as to how the money is spent and the view in Parliament is that health and pensions beat defence anyday.

          • British “post-imperial nostagia” they claim. Yet we support mostly free soveriegn nations nowdays while it seems Russia & China are trying to re-assert imperial claims. If Russia & China weren’t so obnoxious to their neighbors, Ukrainians & Taiwanese might be more friendly.

          • I’ll read any paper telegraph to guardian, everything has a grain of truth or a different view to think about, even if it just helps you conclude its dogshit, sometime to know something is shit you have to shall we say “smell it”.

        • None of them. It’s Paul Keating, Oz PM until 1996, and a former International Board Member of the China Development Bank – which is run by a Chinese State Official.

          And a bit of a whinge-machine about AUKUS.

    • So you’re Ben Wallace’s GP then? In which case should you be discussing his medical health in public?

      Or instead are you someone with no knowledge of what an actual nervous breakdown is, and making wild exaggerated – and basically untrue – comments about him?

      I suspect the latter…

    • Suspect that the sudden input from our illustrious leader is part of the Save Boris’ Skin package, though. Nothing added to what Wallace and CDS have already promulgated.

      • You know you’re not wrong and the self proclaimed leadership must have other countries rolling all over floor laughing their knackers off, the bluffing, lying buffoon.

        Leadership #1 there were no parties
        Leadership #2 I attended no parties
        Leadership #3 I never knew I was breaking the rules
        Leadership #4 I won’t put up taxes
        Leadership #5 I won’t cut the Armed Forces.

        Leadership #6 I got Brexit done and spend £350m per week on the NHS…

        Oh yes, true leader.

    • As an uninformed lurker it appears to me that the current army ( MOD ? ) doctrine is that our tank overwatch is via dismounted anti-tank missiles as a cheaper, better, more flexible option than a dedicated anti-tank vehicle with fitted missiles.
      Has sending 1,000 of these missiles given us the potential opportunity to test that doctrine. If 1,000 of the current U.K. tank defence missiles don’t destroy at least 200 Russian tanks would that result in a rethink of doctrine. An anti-tank vehicle for the Boxers/Ajax variants or more MBT, or would a great success and lots of destroyed Russian armour mean the hastening of the full demise of MBT and anti tank vehicles and a big order for lots of shoulder launched anti tank missiles for a lot more APVs and scout vehicles ?
      It seems to me as uniformed lurker this could be the perfect opportunity to test our anti-tank and the US to test anti air and anti missile technology against the latest and greatest Russian hardware – they aren’t going to send their B team to invades Ukraine ( or are they ? – if they do of course ).
      Sorry for rambling.

      • As one who has fired one of these wee beasties (in anger) and had a go with Javelin. I can quite categorically state, that if you are in front of a Russian brigade combat team heading your way and this is all you have, you are going to get your arse kicked. The reason is not just the range of the NLAW, but also the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Russian assaults. NLAW has a range “as quoted” as 600m, it may be able to go further than this, but I can neither confirm or deny it. It will however kill any Russian MBT, barring a T14 Armata using the top attack mode, even one with dodgy overhead cage armour and probably a direct attack from the side. Javelin on the other hand can be pushed out past 4km, but the firer may still be spotted. Is that enough?

        Russian assault SOP calls for overwhelming artillery and rocket use on the designated target, followed by a creeping barrage to the next high ground, whilst firing over the top of a MBT and armoured infantry assault. Javelin may be ok to initially blunt an assault, but you will be diving for cover when the artillery hits. As the constant barrage is kept up the tanks and infantry get closer. Whereby at close range you could pop up and fire off a few NLAWs. All through the assault you will only have your trench etc for protection.

        What you really need is something with a bit of range such as the Spike ER or NLOS version (Exactor) that can hit the assault from near their start position. Even better still would be one where its fired and the operator is protected by an armoured box that is mobile. So it can withstand near misses from artillery then relocate to a new firing point. Something along the lines of a modernised Striker would be ideal! It is interesting to note, that the Australian Boxer with the turreted 30mm autocannon, is also get a pair of Spike NLOS integrated within the turret.

        NLAW is really a ambush weapon. Where you can creep up on a MBT fire it then bugger off quick. It will be brilliant for use in built up areas as it can be fired from inside a room down onto a vehicle

        One of the turret options for the Warrior upgrade had a pair of Spike NLOS included, sadly it was dropped on cost grounds. Something I feel we may live to regret, if our guys get involved, when or if it does kick off in Ukraine!

        • Yep, I was thinking back to Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur & Lebanese conflicts where the armoured forces sprayed recklessly everything around them with machine gun fire to flush out anyone lurking with AT missiles. Of course any civis or livestock also get clobbered. Called “reconaisance” in early 1980s news reports.

        • An absolute disgrace & betrayal that our leaders have alowed the teeth of our miltary to be so badly drawn that our enemies have such a superiority & we’ve given up whole capabilities none of our enemies have.

          • I am afraid the only way this will change is if something disastrous happens. Similar to how we got the MRAPS, when the Snatches proved to be death traps when faced with someone firing a RPG at it or an IED was detonated below it. Only with high casualty numbers will those in power do anything, as it’s bad PR!

  6. One option floating out there is for the West to threaten Kaliningrad if Putin goes further into Ukraine. Gulp!

    Either way NATO needs to seriously reinforce all the surrounding countries.

    • Highly unlikely. For one it’s a veritable fortress stuffed full of missiles that can threaten half of Europe, not to mention the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet.

      Any threat to it would potentially see Russia close the Suwalki Gap between it and Belarus, which would leave the Baltic States cut off from the rest of NATO.
      So ultimately a self-defeating move.

      • I’m not so sure. If Poland & Lithuania were fully reinforced so that the Suwalki Gap were as secure as possible, its more like the other way around with Kaliningrad being even more geographically vulnerable than it already is. A bit of funny business behind the scenes in Belarus (like Putin himself does in other countries) and suddenly Russia has a big problem. Ditto on the other side on the Pacific coast whose populations don’t seem too happy with Putin.

        Just saying.

    • That is against NATOs mission, it is and always has been a defensive alliance, reinforcing the defence of NATO nations is one thing. To actual develop a threat posture to an external nation Due to It’s actions against a non NATO state is not really cognisant with any of NATOs articles.

      It would also directly re-enforcing the Russian dialogue and belief around NATO threat and aggression, so it’s an own goal there.

      It would also be a trigger for a general War with Russia if NATO did assault Kaliningrad and it would possibly fracture NATO if NATO was the cause of the war, you could see a refusal to support article five from some nations and the failure of NATO in a time of war.

      Better to make very clear the red lines around present NATO members, show willingness and capability to defend all NATO members and let Russia be the aggressor not NATO.

      • Yes, of course. NATO is defensive and needs to protect existing members and we must avoid WW3.

        All I am saying is that there are options out there for NATO to get on the front foot and bring pressure to bear on Putin, given how fragile some countries populations are with regards loyalty to Putin. In the case of Kaliningrad, my understanding of history is that it was East Prussia, basically German and Lithuanian, until the end of WWII and Cold War when nobody wanted it and the Russians migrated there – like into many Baltic countries. Any threat to Putin’s access to the Baltic Sea would at least give him food for thought and stretch his resources.

  7. Ah, Wallace has just now (1535 hrs) made a statement:-

    “at no time during the Afghan evacuation was I instructed to evacuate animals over humans”

    Well that clears that up then.

  8. OT. George has written a piece on Britain, the Arctic, and need of more ASW and MPA for the Telegraph.

    I cannot read it as I don’t subscribe.

    Pretty much the thoughts of all here.

        • If you find yourself doing it regularly, then I would say get a separate web browser with that option set.

          These days it tends to be buried quite deeply in the settings, and can be a pain to find.

          Though on one of the browsers with “plugins” to add features, there may be one to “turn JS off with a single click”.

          I use Opera as my no-JS browser.

          • Javascript.

            The most common language that runs in your browser, so you can stop it.

            If it were server side – ie being processed before the web page is sent to you – it is far more difficult for your computer (the “client”) to get at.

          • Thanks Matt. I might know a bit about MoD and our military, but on computer tech I’ve not a clue.

          • I’m afraid not.

            If you keep your eyes open for ‘hacks’ you will notice things from time to time, and follow clues down rabbitholes.

            Alternatively, be a nerd and start an internet career in the early 1990s 😎.

  9. US and allies discussing deploying more troops to Eastern Europe prior to any Russian invasion of Ukraine

    “Among the countries considering accepting the deployments are Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. The deployments would number approximately 1,000 personnel to each country and would be similar to the forward battle groups currently stationed in the Baltic States and Poland.

    The US and UK are among those considering the new, pre-invasion deployments, but not all 30 NATO members are willing, according to a European diplomat.”

    https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/26/politics/us-allies-discuss-deploying-more-troops/index.html

  10. Latest.

    The US has given Russia its written responses to a set of security demands by Moscow over Ukraine and NATO amid fears President Putin’s troops could invade the country.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the “ball is in Russia’s court”, as he added: “We’re ready either way.”

    https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-russia-tensions-us-responds-to-set-of-kremlin-demands-and-says-it-is-now-up-to-moscow-as-were-ready-either-way-12526015

    • They are pretty much brand new – the Nimrod R1 served from the early 1970s to 2014, nearly 40 years! These RC-135s have been in service for less than 10 years.

        • Agreed, but like the USAF’s B-52s the large pool of KC/RC/EC 135s can probably be upgraded ad infinitum, and the airframe is the least critical component anyway.

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