Current as of January 05, 2026
Mission
The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft supports tactical, theater and national-level consumers with near-real-time, on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities.
Features
The aircraft is an extremely modified C-135. The Rivet Joint's modifications are primarily related to its on-board sensor suite, which allows the mission crew to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. The mission crew can then forward gathered information in a variety of formats to a wide range of consumers via the Rivet Joint's extensive communications suite.
The interior seats more than 30 people, including the cockpit crew, electronic warfare officers, intelligence operators and in-flight maintenance technicians.
The Rivet Joint fleet was re-engined with CFM-56 engines and features an upgraded flight deck with instrumentation and navigational systems compliant with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. These standards include a conversion from analog readouts to a digital "glass cockpit" configuration.
All Rivet Joint airframe and mission systems modifications are overseen by L3Harris Technologies under the oversight of the 645th Aeronautical Systems Group (Big Safari), Air Force Materiel Command. The U.S./U.K. RC-135 Cooperative program delivered three Rivet Joints to the Royal Air Force (RAF), with follow-on cooperative development, sustainment and co-manned operations since 2011.
BACKGROUND
The current RC-135 fleet is the latest iteration of modifications to this pool of C-135 aircraft dating back to 1962. Initially employed by Strategic Air Command to satisfy nationally tasked intelligence collection requirements, the RC-135 fleet has participated in every sizable armed conflict involving U.S. assets during its tenure.
RC-135s were present supporting operations in Vietnam; the Mediterranean for Operation El Dorado Canyon; Grenada for Operation Urgent Fury; Panama for Operation Just Cause; and Southwest Asia for Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Inherent Resolve and Freedom Sentinel.
All U.S. Air Force RC-135s are assigned to Air Combat Command. The RC-135 is permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and operated by the 55th Wing, using various forward deployment locations worldwide.