OVERVIEW: The RC 135W Rivet Joint is a United States Air Force strategic SIGINT reconnaissance aircraft under Project Big Safari. As of 2020 the fleet features Baseline 13 upgrades to enhance signal collection, processing and intelligence sharing.

DETAILS: Converted from KC 135 and RC 135 airframes, the RC 135W entered service with US and RAF crews from 2014 onward. It is powered by four CFM F108‑CF‑201 turbofans, cruises at approximately 850 km/h Mach 0.66, operates up to 15 200 m altitude and has an unrefuelled range of about 6 500 km, fitted with wingtip pods, chin fairings, fuselage blade antennas and conformal domes housing wideband SIGINT/ELINT sensors, automated direction-finding systems and secure SATCOM data links, crewed by up to 30 including pilots navigators EW specialists intelligence analysts and technicians.

Baseline 13 upgrades initiated in fiscal year 2021 complete enhancements from previous baselines with precision emitter geolocation, advanced digital search, improved COMINT and ELINT capabilities, SATCOM reachback, 3D mapping user interfaces, integration with distributed common ground systems, enhanced autopilot safety features and automated adaptive signal processing.

TYPE: Strategic SIGINT Reconnaissance Aircraft

FUNCTION: The RC 135W intercepts analyzes and geolocates a broad range of electronic signals including communications radar and data links, providing near real‑time intelligence for theater and national decision makers. Baseline 13 enables operation in contested electromagnetic environments with rapid data fusion and dissemination.

NOTE:
IOC: US circa 1974 refinements, RAF from 2014
Manufacturer: Boeing airframe and L3Harris mission systems
Operators: US Air Force 55th Wing Offutt AFB and Royal Air Force (3 RC 135W Airseeker)
Fleet Size: US 8 RC 135V and 9 RC 135W, UK 3 RC 135W
Conflict use: Vietnam Cold War Balkans Gulf War Iraq Afghanistan Libya ongoing global SIGINT missions

SOURCE: U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet RC‑135V/W Rivet Joint https://www.af.mil/About‑Us/Fact‑Sheets/Display/Article/104608/rc‑135vw‑rivet‑joint/ , Air and Space Forces Magazine RC‑135V/W profile https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons‑platforms/rc‑135v‑w/ , C‑MANO DB RC‑135W Baseline 13 https://cmano‑db.com/aircraft/5834/ , GlobalSecurity.org Rivet Joint overview https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/rivet_joint.htm