A British RC-135 ‘Rivet Joint’, a dedicated electronic surveillance aircraft, has completed a mission at the border of Belarus from Lithuanian and Polish airspace.
The UK has been gathering intelligence about the build-up of Russian forces. It should be noted that these flights are designed to be visible so that the public and Russia know they’re happening.
🚨 NEWS | A British RC-135 'Rivet Joint', a dedicated electronic surveillance aircraft, has completed a mission at the border of Belarus from Lithuanian and Polish airspace. The UK has been gathering intelligence about the build-up of Russian forces. pic.twitter.com/jGf8YR9iDU
— George Allison (@geoallison) February 9, 2022
British surveillance aircraft being over the area isn’t unusual but we are seeing a significant increase in the frequency of the flights over the last few weeks. American assets are also present.
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.
I wonder if we are expecting a second invasion thrust coming from Belarus? I see we have put 1000 troops on standby officially, I would suggest we should assemble a multi national NATO Armoured Division with the US, GB, France and Germany providing an Armoured Regiment each and place it in Poland for the next 6 months. I know, zero chance of Germany doing sod all and ‘Peace in our Time’ Macron reluctant to show force, it will be a US Division with a GB Armoured Regiment integrated with that. I would do it now, to set a very clear… Read more »
john,
I’m of the view that the troops to the North are more of a distraction in forcing the Ukraine to split its forces, so the real thrust regards linking the east with the Crimea and securing the water supply to the Crimea is achieved. Which might explain the much larger basing of troops across the Donbas region and in the Crimea. To that end I would expect a limited incursion from the north before they moved in the East. I also feel that such a limited moved around the Crimea would be politically acceptable to Berlin, Paris and Strasbourg.
Politically acceptable? After the slow Anschluss of Belarus and the annexation of the Sudetenland, I mean Crimea and Donbas, where do you think the central EU powers will deem acceptable next?
Yes, the Germans have yet to remove their heads from their Ostpolitik arses, but I have no idea why you think the French would find yet another invasion politically acceptable. Macron has returned with a piece of paper promising peace in our time. I think his political fortunes would nosedive far faster than Chamberlain’s following an invasion.
Yes, especially with the upcoming French elections he will seemed to have made a fool of himself!
I feel you are probably right Farouk, the weak EU will keep looking the other way, while Mr Putin carries on snatching back the USSR piece by piece … What’s next, seizing the old Walsaw Pact countries too?
I will go out on a limb and say with a large amount of Russian troops in Belarus they will not be leaving, and this is likely to be the beginning of the end of Belarus as a separate country from Russia. Even if Putin does not invade Ukraine, he now has a significant force in Belarus to influence them to ever closer ties to Russia.
The exercise they are in ends on the 20th February, you don’t have long to find out.
Interestingly that is the same day as the winter Olympics finish ! Couldn’t possibly insult the Chinese by distracting from the closing ceremony with something as vulgar as an invasion!!
For once, I agree with you (will wonders never cease?) The invasion of Georgia began when the troops didn’t go home after exercises, which practised pushing into Georgia from Abkazia and S Ossetia. They just did it for real afterwards.
I don’t think Putin wants the Ukraine, he just wants it in tatters. If he does invade he’ll give most of it back.
I think he just wants it neutral like Finland, not a potential missile launch site.
Well we are back to disagreeing. Putin already had that. That was before before Putin poisoned the President and annexed Crimea. Along with Moldova and Georgia, the Ukraine declared neutrality after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russian troops are currently stationed in breakaway areas of all three countries without permission of their host nations.
Finland isn’t neutral, it’s a member of Nordefco and reserves the right to join NATO. Scandavia has too many friends for Russia to mess with, so it pretends that Finland and Sweden are neutral. “Neutral like Finland” would be a dream for the Ukraine.
If Russia attacks Ukraine Finland will be a member of NATO within 6 months. Sweden i’m not so sure but probably.
I’m not so sure that would work as the natives are already peeved off about their dictator for life. Oh the Russians have knocked out a video regards the ex
https://twitter.com/babaktaghvaee/status/1491673993362956290?s=21
Oh Farouk everyone knows the Russian people love their dear leader. Any man who can go from driving a taxi and living in a council flat to being the richest man on earth in less than 25 years while simultaneously running the USSR sorry Russia deserves it. He can even make a cup of tea that will literally change your life ! 😀
I don’t think the natives get a say. 😂
I agree with you but it won’t take much influencing the puppet leader. It is also no coincidence that he now has a Puppet leader in Kazakhstan. He couldn’t get one into Ukraine so decided he would have to take it back.
While the world seems to be watching Ukraine, perhaps we should also look at the possibility of a trust from Belarus through Lithuania to link up with Kalingrade, and cutting off the Baltic states?
I think Putin tests and takes his opportunities but I don’t think he would test NATO that directly by invading a member, because it would be to big a risk of the full response.
I agree, but just like the German thrust through the Ardenne, no one was looking in that direction. However, I was just trying to broaden the discussion.
Unlikely, several of the Baltic Fleets large landing craft are on holiday in the Black Sea having just done some sunbathing in Syria. Kaliningrad works quite well as it is, a giant thorn in the side of NATO, fortified to the hilt, with increasing strategic importance now the range limitation no longer applies to land based missiles.
Ok, even I can’t get my head around this one?
Ridiculous and I hope she will not be going alone
It’ll take about 6 days travel and I’m not sure how many days to get ready, 2 perhaps?
If the invasion takes place after the military exercise in Belarus, and after the completion of the Winter Olympics to avoid pissing off China, it should just about make it (if that’s the plan). To do what though?