Boeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

Description

Product

Boeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

Description

In the early 1980s, all RC-135M aircraft were redesigned to the RC-135W standard. The RC-135V and RC-135W were generally very similar in appearance to the earlier variants, and only a few slight differences in their external antennas distinguished them. Both versions were given the common proper name Rivet Joint and have been a major type of electronic reconnaissance aircraft in the United States Air Force for more than 40 years. Their main task is to identify the enemy’s air defenses, to locate and track sources of radio emission in all possible ranges, and to intercept communication between command posts and enemy aircraft.