A Royal Air Force RC-135 ‘Rivet Joint’ intelligence gathering aircraft has been operating in international airspace near the headquarters of the Russian Northern Fleet.
A Royal Air Force RC-135 ‘Rivet Joint’ intelligence gathering aircraft is currently flying to international airspace near the headquarters of the Russian Northern Fleet in order to conduct an electronic surveillance mission. pic.twitter.com/BHCLYkxlih
— George Allison (@geoallison) September 15, 2022
The aircraft was refuelled over the North Sea by a U.S. Air Force KC-135 out of RAF Mildenhall before flying over Norway and then down to the Kola Peninsula, just off Murmansk.
This isn’t a new occurrence. In fact, these flights are quite routine. The UK has long been gathering intelligence about Russian forces since long before the invasion of Ukraine, and it should be noted that these flights are designed to be visible so that the public and Russia know they’re happening.
If it were a secret, I would not know. Also, for those remarking ‘this isn’t new’, that’s right, but people only know this often happens because it is reported often. Why are we reporting this? Well, aside from the above, it’s important for people to see that aircraft like this are in near-constant use rather than gathering dust in a hangar.
It should be noted, by the way, that the aircraft is in international airspace. The West does this to Russia, and Russia does this to the West.
What does the RC-135W do?
According to the Royal Air Force website, the RC-135W Rivet Joint is a dedicated ‘signals intelligence’ 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.
These three aircraft are very busy. Do they operate with more than three crews .?
Respectfully I don’t think anyone is going to answer that.
Given the sensitivity of what the platform is used for and how vital it is.
Although to be fair the US are relatively open around the fact they run more than one crew for each of their ballistic missile submarines and you simply don’t get more sensitive than that.
Sometimes security/in the national interest can be used as a way to not to be open about how effectively you are using/managing key national resources.
Not having the crews to effectively run these expensive and key resources would have security concerns, in the timeframe you had the shortages….put still in the name of open effective government you should have this pubic and scrutinised in a reasonable timeframe ( crew shortages that you have now sorted are not as sensitive as crew shortages you have now…and you should be open about your historic failures..showing the public how well you were managing and using these resources. by effective use of multiple crews and what you learned form your mistakes is not really an immediate security issue.
I agree. You think it can be about masking inefficiency rather than operational necessity, and I agree with you, so our peer competitors might think the same.
One of the functions of the military is to deter. If the other side think when you’ve gone all secret squirrel on it, it’s because you’re faking it, it won’t deter. Some transparency is necessary, not least so “they” know we aren’t just faking capability to mask incompetence. To be honest, I’d like to know that too!
Undoubtedly true.
All I’m saying is that it is doing very critical and sensitive work at a critical time for European security.
When operations are not critical then it is a great time to question manning levels: I’d like to see all services have higher manning levels. And all planes to have redundant crewing so all the expensive frames can all operate at high intensity.
Agree, it was more a question of is it stated policy for these aircraft to have more than one crew ( so like the USN blue and gold crews).
Not sure the RAF have got with the Ryanair operating method, yet. However, the NATO AWACs are multi-crewed, and given what Ryanair do with their aircraft and how much 3 platforms are in demand, fair chance they are multi-crewed.
Yes. They have more then 3 crews.
Now that Finland is in NATO it’s only about 50 miles from the finish boarder to Murmansk. Image how worried we would have been having Faslane just 50 miles from Warsaw Pact Territory.
In a shooting war 16 AAB could probably grab the entire Russian Northern fleet before the Orcs even figured out what was going on. A couple of MLRS deployed there could take out half of Putins SSBN capability in under a minute.
What a complete Donkey.
Hmmm, the GMLRS would no doubt cause issues but I expect the Russian arctic Brigades/Divisions deployed in one of the worlds most heavily militarized areas would have something to say about that, and the border guards.
16 are not arctic specialists, and cannot just walk across the border there in that terrain with the minimal firepower they have. I don’t know if they even have BVs for the LGs, snowmobiles, skis, and all the rest like the Commandos have.
Leave that raiding stuff to the SF, M&AWC, or BPT.
While the Orcs have screwed up in Ukraine, I for one do not underestimate them in defence of their territory, especially areas like the Kola.
Finland in NATO is actually going to be a goldmine for ground stations along the lines of RC135 collecting signals on the Russians doorstep.
The U.S. and British fleet of Rivet Joints sure have been earning their keep this year. Not only near Ukraine but the regular flights in the Pacific keeping an eye on the Chicoms.
Here’s a question. Can the river joint not take off with a full fuel load? They seem to like refuelling over the North Sea which isn’t that far from base
I think the take off is very thirsty in fuel consumption comapored to cruising once altitude is reached. That’s why refuelling is carried out early in flight.
Ahh yes. More fuel to go up high than it takes to stay there I suppose.
Sub brief has done a fascinating video on Westlant 22 and the problems with prince of wales.
Lots of info.
https://youtu.be/K8amC7BLrXc