A British RC-135 ‘Rivet Joint’, an electronic surveillance aircraft, has conducted a patrol close to the borders of Russia and Belarus.
The aircraft was there to conduct electronic surveillance and gather intelligence.
A British RC-135 ‘Rivet Joint’, an electronic surveillance aircraft, has conducted a patrol close to the borders of Russia and Belarus. pic.twitter.com/aVSCKJor6q
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) August 7, 2023
This isn’t a new occurrence, in fact it is 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 was a secret, I would not know. Also, for those remarking ‘this isn’t new’, that’s right but people only know this happens often because it is reported often.
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.
Some general uses of the RC-135W include:
- Signal Intelligence (SIGINT): The aircraft collects electronic signals, such as communications, radar, and other systems, to gather intelligence on adversaries’ capabilities and intentions. This information is crucial for understanding the operational environment and making well-informed decisions.
- Support to Operations: The RC-135W has been used in various operations, such as Operation Shader, which is the UK’s contribution to the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The aircraft supports these operations by collecting intelligence on enemy forces, infrastructure, and strategies.
- Strategic Deterrence: By conducting visible reconnaissance flights near areas of interest, the UK sends a clear message to potential adversaries that their activities are being closely monitored. This serves as a deterrent, helping to maintain regional stability and prevent conflicts.
- Support to Diplomacy: Intelligence gathered by the RC-135W can play a crucial role in informing diplomatic efforts and shaping foreign policy. By providing accurate and timely information, the aircraft helps decision-makers navigate complex geopolitical situations.
The UK operates three RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft, which are versatile and essential assets for maintaining situational awareness and supporting various military and diplomatic initiatives.
Previous article was about an Historic Garbage Barge. This one is about an occurrence that has happened virtually every week day for the last 20 months.
NATO, French, US AWACS and RAF/US RC-135W patrol the area from the Southern Black Sea all the way up into Northern Europe.
Quiet News Day ?😎
Or reminding us all that this stuff happens all day every day and that non kinetic stuff is actually quite important for war fighting?
Yes. Never neglect the enablers.
It’s not all about Tanks, Fast Jets and Warships. I myself find the enablers even more interesting than the kinetic stuff.
Information is power? It’s stranglely quiet on the subject of what is actually happpening in Ukraine at the moment. Probably for the best.
It is. And we are good at it.
Wonder how the chieftains are performing?
I completely agree with you about the vital function these 3 aircraft play. It is very easy to judge the strength of Armed Forces by their frontline equipment or numbers, it’s what supports them that makes the difference.
My problem is this article doesn’t do anything other than remind us of just how vital these aircraft are or highlight the glaring issue of what is wrong with them.
If it had included the a brief history of the airframe it would have been a better article. Airframe built in 1964 as an KC135 and no replacement in sight.
Older than the Nimrods they replaced I believe?
I also read these 3 airframes were the youngest of those the USAF had in their available stocks, but that may be wrong.
Yep you are right on both counts these airframes are nearly 60 years old. But that was omitted in the article, it was just a warmed up rehash of previous articles. And as for the enablers where are the next ones ? AEW gapped and to be replaced with only 3 E7 Wedgetails, Sentinals gone and no replacement. We are fighting blind. I was at RIAT last month and it was honestly embarrassing the lack of U.K participation. The Italians and Swedes were very impressive, the Swedish display of the Gripen in appalling weather was simply unbelievable. But for me… Read more »
I have never seen the U2/TR1 at an airshow. Agree regards Sentinel, I think they plan to use Protector when that arrives. We have a good number of Reaper, which cannot fly at Fairford. They dropped more ordnance than Tornado/Harrier in Afghanistan and Iraq. Do Italy and Sweden have those flying around the Middle East? They also have a little publicised SIGINT capability that ties in with the platform in this article at certain places. Maybe our assets were busy actually doing the jobs they are designed to do rather than sitting pretty on an airfield, which I suggest applies… Read more »
Max Hastings wrote a good article some months ago, saying, in my view with more than a grain of truth, that most people think that the armed forces only exist to provide the Household Division so that the grockles can gawp at the changing of the guard, the BBMF and the Red Arrows so we can all go ooh and aah at airshows. However, ABCR has a good point, there are so many gaps in capability that we really do have a hollowed out military. Navy Lookout had a good article last week about Albion going into reserve before Bulwark… Read more »
We do have a hollowed out military, even I admit that, and I highlight the cuts government ( all of them! ) make regularly.
However, I also try to look at the positives that we still maintain, what else can we do? Else I’d give up this subject and take up bird watching.
Yes, I too saw the LPD report though I did not read it in detail. Is Bulwark really not worked up to take over yet or is it a case of money saving by gapping?
I believe Bulwark is still deep in refit, and won’t turn a screw until next year.
Is that a dockyard worker? Surely somebody else could turn a nut, bolt or screw sooner than that even if it’s just on the wardroom door
It’s a screw propeller, if you don’t turn them the ship doesn’t move!
I’ve taken up trainspotting it’s amazing how economical the BR810 is on a long journey compared to the BR750 GPZ😄👌
Well the general public will be noticing some of the impact of cuts in the next few years. Because I cannot see the Red Arrows existing much longer as they have a unique aircraft type now.
I think that the aircraft may actually be older than the pilots.
That’s not to mention the gap when one of the carriers goes into maintenance. It’s bad ENOUGH losing a T23 for the best part of two years. Scheduling seems a bit of heath Robinson affair i.e make it up as we go along. Unfortunately this kind of thing doesn’t surprise anymore
No need to defend our position re Italy AF participation at RIAT, they decided to celebrate their Centenary at RIAT, hence they went well “All Italian”. And they do actively operate their Predators in the Med and Black Sea. Unlike most folks splashing around what really impressed me wasn’t their Kinetic kit, but their AEW and SIGINT Aircraft, the G550 AEW and SAAB Globaleye AEW&C. IMHO although drones are seen as an alternative to manned platforms they do have some real drawbacks. Our potential adversaries have demonstrated absolutely no restraint from knocking them out of the sky in peacetime. And… Read more »
I thought that the premature scrapping of Sentinel was an act of strategic vandalism forced upon the RAF by bean counters. Am I right in thinking that these airframes are still flying in the USA?
Stregegic vandalism, started in the 1950’s ask the navy.
Italy don’t have SAAB Globaleye. But yeah they have extensive eletronic capability, 2 G550 AEW 2 G550 SIGINT of 8 G550 buy that will be converted for more AEW , SIGINT and command control. Plus they have 3 EC27J modified transport aircraft for jamming. They also have a 12 Tornado ECR for SEAD.
If you read my original comment I was talking about Italy and Sweden. Hence the SAAB Globaleye comment. And interestingly you just answered a question I had at RIAT. There was C27J there with no label to identify what version or role it was there for. Funny thing the Italian personnel were nowhere to be found (it was torrential), but the Swedes were soggy but incredibly friendly. But it was covered with active jammers and passive ESM, so that explains it. I’m now even more impressed with what they brought with them 😉
In your comment there is no reference to Sweden unless i am going crazy.
Go up a bit further to the comment that starts with Yep. I mention how impressed with both Italy and Sweden.
Ok got it.
Both are innovative towards defence and, without many noticing, have been impressive at raising the quality and size of their forces, which is more than we say for ourselves
IMHO although drones are seen as an alternative to manned platforms they do have some real drawbacks. Our potential adversaries have demonstrated absolutely no restraint from knocking them out of the sky in peacetime. I was just pondering this. To us laymen, we have been told that drones are the way ahead and that all future wars will be fought with drones/uavs. And I know there are different types of drones, but the Ruskies do seem to be able to find and interfere with the big ones and both Russia and Ukraine claim to intercept every one sent at each… Read more »
No prob but I am actually referring to the Russians knocking a US Drone down over the Black Sea. Dumped fuel on it and then collided with it.
Could have been worse in the good old days pre PC the F111 of USAFE air display party peace was to dump fuel parallel to the runway, pull up and put the reheat on.
Hi Phil, not a question that is an easy answer, but here goes. The peacetime rules of engagement against unmanned aircraft are a bit of a grey area. However, any aircraft that has entered your sovereign airspace, which is demonstrably posing a threat and is not complying with communications, you are allowed to shoot it down. Outside the sovereign airspace, it would be damaging someone else’s property, unless it could be proven that it poses a risk to air traffic for example. However, apart from Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and possibly automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B). There are… Read more »
Many brigade is full try next door
We spout on about how fabulous our kit is yet when we get the opportunity to showcase it, we fuck out some half assed, rubbish it’s not good enough.
Now now – don’t start that again 😂
Doesn’t matter three is what we have, any more are well down the list of must haves
Indeed. We have had 3 aircraft in this role for decades, no need for more.
Since UK is no longer in EU, what is the point for UK people to defend the border of EU?
A bit provocative, but… It make no sens to me. No petroleum, only wood and lakes, plus some telco company.
I appreciate RAF commitment in EU (I like RAF a lot), I just don’t uderstand UK foreign policy. It is deemed ruthless, perfidious and cunning? Why should it be friendly? And for what in return?
Have a nice day depite cloudy weather!
NATO. Not EU.
Ok… But… What are the benefit for UK in Nato involvment? For US, sure, I understand, but for UK? I don’t relate it easily to a benefit, except that in the big picture, we are of course delighted from UK involvment, since UK is the allied French trust the most.
But may be I ask too much questions for nothing. Benefit of Nato for Poland, Roumania, Germany, Finland are very clear. For France, somehow yes. For UK, mistery.
The benefit for the U.K., Europe, USA, Canada etc is that a war free Europe, the west helps keep economy going, stability etc. WW2 ravaged Europe and other parts of the world. To make sure that never happens in Europe again we all have to stick together, travel in the same direction and so on. To quote the stay together campaign in the Scottish independence vote: better together.
Oh even using the same cringe words as David Cameron leaves a bad taste
I see. Well, I think so too, better together.
As MS says. Forget the EU nonsense. The EU is not Europe. Europe is a geographic continent, with Europeans. We are all Europeans, and UK citizens remain so, despite the nonsense the pro EU lot spew forth with the UK leaving the EU, which is a political club. We are allies, and have western liberal values, which Russia, China and other hostile actors do not. And NATO was formed to face down the Soviet Union. The UK removing itself from NATO, which it was a founding member of, and of which the US, UK, Canada, were its driving force at… Read more »
I don’t know if EU is a non sens. Sometimes it is exasparating, sometime, it is sweat. I prefer our 2 countries to be part of it, but I also know that you have seas. Besides, there is versatility in the air in US. I don’t know why, but when you look in movies from the 50’s, you see a USA men very strong minded, trustworthy. Today, in movies, they display weak character, that are difficult to trust. Nevertheless, good to see that Great Britain remain a strong ally! And hope to see USA and Europe overcome current bad trend… Read more »
This is a good read on U.K. defence paper.
https://www.defense-aerospace.com/looking-for-scarce-nuggets-in-uks-new-defence-command-paper/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=les-newslettertotal-derniers-articles-de-notre-blog-11
Interesting read MS but it adds little to what we know already. BW was sent to the crease to deliver an update that he probably despised but was completely empty of any promised uplifts. What is missing in that article and just about every other Defence related publication or Website (such as DJ) is any attempt to analysis or answer why ? What is stopping us from doing what most other European countries are doing, just what makes us different ? I suspect the reason isn’t Politics today but a single really unpalatable truth that no one wants to share… Read more »
Really interesting points.
Though GRF isn’t a new thing mate. It was a single entity before in 16AA, this just spins it a bit by adding some of the existing elements of 1 UK. The LRGs I dont think are even established yet. I didn’t see any evidence that they will be cut in the DCP. I’m hoping myself 3 Cdo gets put into 1 UK Division to act as the forward deployed part of the GRF in the shape of the LRG(S). It can still be a part of the naval service in doing that, especially if the GRF moves towards a… Read more »
Mate I just think given the economic situation and an upcoming GE the uplift may never happen. If the inflation rate drops by year end there will be Money available, I’d reckon @£25 Billion in FY24/25. So if the Government realise that their Goose is cooked and decide to cause their successor a real headache they could do the uplift. Just get GB in to do some very well crafted binding Contracts that are Bomb Proof, with eye watering penalty’s. It’s called payback for the QE’s and that nice note they were left. Or they can try for a vain… Read more »
I think it will be going for years mate.
I agree with you, I suspect it will be one long slow slugfest, akin to the Western Front on WW1. As I see it the only way of shortening the war is to either massively up the Ante on sanctions and increase the military aid for Ukraine on a higher level of capability than we do now. Or they grind each other down to such a point that one side has to quit. Unfortunately I think Russia would sanction the use of NBC weapons if they saw that happening to them. On the other hand it means that the obviously… Read more »
U.K. governments have a real unhealthy problem of spending to much. Surely it wasn’t to hard to cut just a little from every part of government spending to balance the books.
The problem is threefold. Firstly the austerity crunch in 2010 pretty well nailed things to the floorboards in most departments. Secondly the biggest budget by far is the NHS and it is political suicide to cut that by any party. That is followed by Pensions, welfare, education all are politically difficult to cut. Thirdly the underlying problem is lack of growth in U.K. economy, that combined with the 11% of revenue being spent on interest is crippling us. The way forwards is to get inflation under control, that reduces the % payments and means we can stop borrowing to cover… Read more »
I appreciate aircraft are like granddad’s axe (three new heads and two new handles) but RCW-135 is based on a Boeing 707. How long can it continue and what might replace it?
It can continue as long as the Americans allow it really.
The rivets can probably fly for quite a bit longer, especially as the KC-135R get replaced. That will free up spares.
Replacement will probably be a long range business jet or KC46 variant. I’m assuming the P8 will not have the legs.
I don’t know how much emissions the rivet joint pump out. If it’s just soaking up the stealth tanker may provide a platform if the cabin is big enough.
Really the tech and people needed on the aircraft will dictate what can replace it.
I am not too sure about enablers in the future. This kind of architecture is too weak. Better distribute and coordinate sensor. The awacs is impossible to protect with existence of R37. The margin is too small. Will be worst with J20. But multiple drones coupled with Rafale F5 will surely do the job even surveillance. Every Rafale is turning into a mini Awacs for all drones. I think it is a bit similar on EF2000, with side radars, even though this approach is not to be s’en before Tempest. Enabler? In a network with large data sharing, the concept… Read more »
Boeing has extended the fatigue life to 140,000 hours. In reality these aircraft are low utilization and have less than 30 or 40,000 hours on them. They could fly for more than 100 years if Safran continues to build and overhaul parts for this variant of the CFM engine. If not, in theory they could be re engined once again to later variant of engine. The avionics aren’t integrated and easily replaced.
Probably looking for troubles
She is kinda like the AH-64 . . . Fugly, but Purposeful 🙂
Yeah but, you cant strap some marines to the wings!
Now where’s that “can do” attitude?
Remembering our time in 1960 we did the similar routes. It was Cold War time. Fothers. X51.
How many more times do we have to read this?!
U tell me how many more times rivet joint will fly near Russia and I will tell you 😂😂😂
OT
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/massive-explosion-outside-moscow-leaves-100350074.html
Ooops, very sloppy procedures there.
It was probably an attempt by an Agent of a Foreign Power (usually ourselves because we are a bit sneaky) to repurpose one of the key ingredients in producing and polishing Optical lenses. Isopropyl Alcohol being turned into Vodka.
The very good Warthog defence youtube channel has more video on this incident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FBTIMUaJwQ Clearly this was a major hit with residents claiming to have seen drones in the air shortly before the single, huge explosion. Notice the decidedly mushroom cloud appearance of the rising smoke column…….. I have noticed that some of the better defence channels on YouTube are getting very good OSINT from inside Russia. Some of the Russian pro-special military operation milbloggers are now getting censored for criticising Shoigu and Gerasimov Telegram is being blocked in some areas of Russia and the authorities have started a campaign… Read more »
Thanks, David, I’ll take a look.
The RAF Rivet Joint shown in the leading picture has the Union flag on the tail the wrong way round. The thick white stripe should be at the top left corner. Surely such a basic error can’t happen?
The nose of the plane is the ‘flag pole’ so this is correct. On the opposite side of the tail the union flag would be the opposite way round.