.573 RC-135V Rivet Joint, United States, Air Force, 1974
Hypothetical
No
Name
RC-135V Rivet Joint, Baseline 13, 2020-
Country
United States
Service
Air Force
In Commission
2020-
Sensors
1. Sensors/EW.
"Continuous baseline upgrades keep the fleet viable through 2040 and drive standards for Combat Sent/Cobra Ball. Flexible funds permit rapid, variant-specific mods in response to emerging/evolving threats.
The fleet recently underwent Baseline 11/12 upgrades, adding new direction finding COMINT, precision ELINT/SIGINT system integration, wideband SATCOMs, enhanced near real-time data dissemination, as well as new steerable beam antenna, improved weather radar, digital cockpit instruments, and compliant CNS/ATM. Baseline 12 added modernized operator interface, improved dense-signal environment capabilities, increased signal bandwidth/exploitation, added operator 3D maps, and integrated RC-135 with Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS).
FY21 efforts focus on upgrading Baseline 11 airframes to Baseline 13, sustaining Baseline 12, and upgrading the aircraft’s autopilot. USAF is working to increasingly automate intelligence gathering and employ artificial intelligence and collaboration to speed collection, analysis, and distribution of information." [7]
"FY20 procurement funding will concentrate on sustainment of the fielded RIVET JOINT Baseline 12 configured aircraft. Baseline 12 subsystem upgrades consist of, but are not limited to: precision multi-angle
direction finding communications intelligence (DF COMINT) capability, electronic intelligence (ELINT) recorder expansion, precision ELINT digital signals intelligence (SIGINT) system (DSS) integration, wideband
global satellite (WGS) enhanced integration, increased near real time (NRT) national tactical integration, improved operator interface and reporting tools, enhancing capabilities in dense signal environments
(search-thru-interference improvement), re-double copy channel count, increased digital signal exploitation, increased digital signal recorder bandwidth, Specific Emitter ID improvement, enhanced spatial
processing/exploitation, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System (AF-DCGS) interoperability, operator work station 3-D map projection, enhanced operator reporting management tools, modernized
communications security Communications Security (COMSEC) protocols, continued CNS/ATM compliant cockpit avionics enhancements to include addressing any obsolescence issues, new steerable beam
antenna, weight reduction phase 4, enhanced weather radar, digitally enhanced electronic flight instrument system (EFIS)."
[2 (p.7)]
Add COMINT Direction Finding (COMIT/DF). [2], [7], [23]. Possibly similar to # 6399 Rio Flex SIGINT (COMINT/DF).
Add upgraded Weather/Navigation Radar. [2], [7], [23] Possible similar to #.2677 AN/APN-242.
Add SIGINT capability. [2], [7], [23] Possibly similar to #.6544 - Generic SIGINT
Add Some form of electro-optical sensors as mentioned below. [12], [20] (Unable to find exacting model numbers) Possibly use #.3479 MX-20 Hi-Mag [FLIR], #.3480 MX-20 3-CCD [CCD], #.3481 MX-20 1-CCD [CCD], #.3482 MX-20 [Laser Rangefinder] and/or #.2825 AN/AAS-52 MTS [IR/EO].
"It is also fitted with a traffic alert collision avoidance system, UHF radios, satellite antenna, an AEELS system and an electro-optic camera. Onboard electro-optic sensors fitted in the aircraft trace geo-located signals within the electromagnetic spectrum and transfer the captured data to operators through secure satellite communication data link."[12]
2. Comms/Datalinks.
"The RC-135 signals intelligence aircraft is fitted with an on-board sensor suite that allows the aircraft to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. The information can then be distributed in a variety of formats to a wide range of platforms through Rivet Joint’s extensive communications suite." [11]
"RIVET JOINT (RC-135V/W) is an air refuelable theater asset with a nationally tasked priority. It collects, analyzes, reports, and exploits enemy BM/C4I. During most contingencies, it deploys to the theater of operations with the airborne elements of TACS (AWACS, ABCCC, Joint STARS, etc.) and is connected to the aircraft via datalinks and voice as required. The aircraft has secure UHF, VHF, HF, and SATCOM communications. Refined intelligence data can be transferred from Rivet Joint to AWACS through the Tactical Digital Information Link TADIL/A or into intelligence channels via satellite and the TA TACTICAL INFORMATION BROADCAST SERVICE (TIBS), which is a nearly real-time theater information broadcast." [13]
Add #.187 UHF/VHF Radio [Secure], Radio.
Add #.72 HF Radio [Secure], Radio.
Add #.217 Link 11, Type - Link 11, Tactical Digital Information Link TADIL/A. [14]
Add #.52 Link 16 JTIDS (MIDS on Ship), Type - Link 16. [14], [22], [23]
Add AEHF SATCOM Uplink. [16], [17], [18] (Currently does not exist in DB but as stated below its been fitted to all RC-135 and B-52)
"Military satellite communications (SATCOM) experts at the Raytheon Co. will switch SATCOM terminals aboard the U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft to the latest Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite under terms of a contract worth nearly a half-billion dollars."[16]
"The AEHF satellite constellation relays relay secure communications for U.S., British, Canadian, Royal Netherlands, and Australian armed forces. AEHF is backward compatible with, and will replace, the older MILSTAR system and will operate at 44 GHz uplink in the EHF band, and 20 GHz downlink in the SHF band."[16]
"AEHF uses the existing MILSTAR low- and medium-rate data signals that move information at 75 to 2,400 bits per second, and at 4.8 kilobits per second to 1.54 megabits per second. AEHF satellites, unlike MILSTAR, also can move data at rates as fast as 8.2 megabits per second."[16]
Mounts.
N/A
Loadout Options
Ferry (Not sure if this calculated differently to the range), (Currently DB ID #.8825)
Maintenance [Unavailable], (DB ID #.4)
Reserve [Available], (DB ID #.3)
SIGINT [Area Surveillance], (Currently DB ID #.8824), Range of this is possibly decreased given Range of 3500 nm unrefueled
Other Changes.
1. General Data.
Change Aircraft type from Area Surveillance to Electronic Area Surveillance.
Decrease Length from 41.5 m to 41.1 m. [3], [4]
Increase Height from 12.7 m to 12.8 m. [3], [4]
Max Ceiling 15,240 m (50,000 feet) (This varies across sources so i went with the highest). [3], [4]
PygmalionOfCyprus
commented
2 years ago
DB Selector
DB3K
DBID to Copy
.573 RC-135V Rivet Joint, United States, Air Force, 1974
Hypothetical
No
Name
RC-135V Rivet Joint, Baseline 13, 2020-
Country
United States
Service
Air Force
In Commission
2020-
Sensors
1. Sensors/EW.
"Continuous baseline upgrades keep the fleet viable through 2040 and drive standards for Combat Sent/Cobra Ball. Flexible funds permit rapid, variant-specific mods in response to emerging/evolving threats.
The fleet recently underwent Baseline 11/12 upgrades, adding new direction finding COMINT, precision ELINT/SIGINT system integration, wideband SATCOMs, enhanced near real-time data dissemination, as well as new steerable beam antenna, improved weather radar, digital cockpit instruments, and compliant CNS/ATM. Baseline 12 added modernized operator interface, improved dense-signal environment capabilities, increased signal bandwidth/exploitation, added operator 3D maps, and integrated RC-135 with Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS).
FY21 efforts focus on upgrading Baseline 11 airframes to Baseline 13, sustaining Baseline 12, and upgrading the aircraft’s autopilot. USAF is working to increasingly automate intelligence gathering and employ artificial intelligence and collaboration to speed collection, analysis, and distribution of information." [7]
"FY20 procurement funding will concentrate on sustainment of the fielded RIVET JOINT Baseline 12 configured aircraft. Baseline 12 subsystem upgrades consist of, but are not limited to: precision multi-angle direction finding communications intelligence (DF COMINT) capability, electronic intelligence (ELINT) recorder expansion, precision ELINT digital signals intelligence (SIGINT) system (DSS) integration, wideband global satellite (WGS) enhanced integration, increased near real time (NRT) national tactical integration, improved operator interface and reporting tools, enhancing capabilities in dense signal environments (search-thru-interference improvement), re-double copy channel count, increased digital signal exploitation, increased digital signal recorder bandwidth, Specific Emitter ID improvement, enhanced spatial processing/exploitation, Air Force Distributed Common Ground System (AF-DCGS) interoperability, operator work station 3-D map projection, enhanced operator reporting management tools, modernized communications security Communications Security (COMSEC) protocols, continued CNS/ATM compliant cockpit avionics enhancements to include addressing any obsolescence issues, new steerable beam antenna, weight reduction phase 4, enhanced weather radar, digitally enhanced electronic flight instrument system (EFIS)." [2 (p.7)]
"It is also fitted with a traffic alert collision avoidance system, UHF radios, satellite antenna, an AEELS system and an electro-optic camera. Onboard electro-optic sensors fitted in the aircraft trace geo-located signals within the electromagnetic spectrum and transfer the captured data to operators through secure satellite communication data link."[12]
2. Comms/Datalinks.
"The RC-135 signals intelligence aircraft is fitted with an on-board sensor suite that allows the aircraft to detect, identify and geolocate signals throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. The information can then be distributed in a variety of formats to a wide range of platforms through Rivet Joint’s extensive communications suite." [11]
"RIVET JOINT (RC-135V/W) is an air refuelable theater asset with a nationally tasked priority. It collects, analyzes, reports, and exploits enemy BM/C4I. During most contingencies, it deploys to the theater of operations with the airborne elements of TACS (AWACS, ABCCC, Joint STARS, etc.) and is connected to the aircraft via datalinks and voice as required. The aircraft has secure UHF, VHF, HF, and SATCOM communications. Refined intelligence data can be transferred from Rivet Joint to AWACS through the Tactical Digital Information Link TADIL/A or into intelligence channels via satellite and the TA TACTICAL INFORMATION BROADCAST SERVICE (TIBS), which is a nearly real-time theater information broadcast." [13]
"Military satellite communications (SATCOM) experts at the Raytheon Co. will switch SATCOM terminals aboard the U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft to the latest Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite under terms of a contract worth nearly a half-billion dollars."[16]
"The AEHF satellite constellation relays relay secure communications for U.S., British, Canadian, Royal Netherlands, and Australian armed forces. AEHF is backward compatible with, and will replace, the older MILSTAR system and will operate at 44 GHz uplink in the EHF band, and 20 GHz downlink in the SHF band."[16]
"AEHF uses the existing MILSTAR low- and medium-rate data signals that move information at 75 to 2,400 bits per second, and at 4.8 kilobits per second to 1.54 megabits per second. AEHF satellites, unlike MILSTAR, also can move data at rates as fast as 8.2 megabits per second."[16]
Mounts.
N/A
Loadout Options
Other Changes.
1. General Data.
2. Propulsion.
2.1. Engines
2.2. Type
2.3. Max Speed
3. Fuel
Sources
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_RC-135 [2] https://www.dacis.com/budget/budget_pdf/FY20/PROC/F/DARP01_55.pdf [3] https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/airseeker-rc-135w-rivet-joint/ [4] https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104608/rc-135vw-rivet-joint/ [5] https://www.cfmaeroengines.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Brochure_CFM56_2018.pdf [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFM_International_CFM56 [7] https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/246122 [8] https://www.military.com/equipment/rc-135v-w-rivet-joint [9] https://www.airforcemag.com/weapons-platforms/rc-135v-w/ [10] https://www.keymilitary.com/article/still-going-strong-special-mission-aircraft [11] https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/guide-rc-135-rivet-joint/ [12] https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/boeing-rc135/ [13] https://irp.fas.org/program/collect/rivet_joint.htm [14] https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/tadil.htm [15] https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/rivet_joint.htm [16] https://www.militaryaerospace.com/communications/article/14074966/satcom-terminals-nuclearhardened [17] https://www.militaryaerospace.com/communications/article/14073779/commercial-satellites-military-satcom-tactical-networking [18] https://www.defensedaily.com/u-s-air-force-awards-raytheon-contract-worth-up-to-960-million-for-aehf-terminals/space/ [19] https://www.key.aero/article/silent-snoopers [20] https://militaryanalizer.com/rc-135/ [21] https://www.armadainternational.com/2021/10/looking-down-from-on-high/ [22] https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/joint-riveting-britains-rc-135-airseeker-electronic-snooping-planes-05102/ [23] https://www.dacis.com/budget/budget_pdf/FY19/RDTE/F/0305207F_271.pdf [24] https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/people/aldrich/vigilant/lectures/gchq/rivet/aircraft.pdf