US DSCA notifies Congress of possible 'Rivet Joint' sale to UK
The UK's potential acquisition of three RC-135V/W 'Rivet Joint' signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft to replace its existing Nimrod R.1s moved a step closer on 2 October 2008, when the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of a potential USD1.07 billion 'Rivet Joint' sale to the UK Royal Air Force. The DSCA noted that, if approved, the three aircraft will be based on existing CFM56-powered KC-135R tankers - rather than 'Rivet Joint' aircraft taken from the US Air Force fleet - modified for the SIGINT role by L-3 Communications Integrated Systems at its facility in Greenville, Texas