Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:
"These highly specialised aircraft and their supporting ground systems, bought off-the-shelf,
The 3 aircraft, converted by L-3IS in Greenville, Texas, from a Boeing KC-135 tanker,
Surely it's not really COTS (or MOTS) if you buy 50 year old airframe and then spend years converting them, making a complete cock-up of it in the process.
UK's Rivet Joint Wins Interim Approval To Fly | Defense News | defensenews.com
Says...
Britain’s new Rivet Joint RC-135W aircraft has secured an interim release to service
What does "interim" apply to? That means the RAF are not permitted to rely on part or all of the aircraft. When will that be lifted?