USAF EC/RC-130s Berlin corridor 1970/80s
 

I remember seeing 4, there always seemed to be 4 of the above mentioned C-130s based at Frankfurt Rhein-Main in the 70s and their raison d'etre was to fly up and down the air corridor monitoring whatever they were tasked to monitor. I seem to remember that they had almost invisible markings hidden in either a very dark grey/black exterior or camouflage.

They still seemed to be there throughout the 80s and perhaps into the 90s, although as i was mostly passing through i didn't watch them too closely. There were stories locally of the eastern block airliners routinely requesting to land on the runway that was closest to the Rhein-Main base and if allowed then little cameras started clicking the airframes on the base to be sent back to the GRU/KGB analysts on the return trip.

Does anyone remember the herks and their missions and have any stories to recall ?



SHJ

Berlin corridor
 

Best I can offer is having been on 60 Sqd at Wildenrath 1969-70 up & down the corridor in & out of Gatow & Templehoff with our camera equipped Pembrokes (they did exist, quite clandestine those days !), often spent time comparing notes with US Herk crews about what we had seen on the ground & what to look out for, don't remember them being other than normal camo & markings though, but some years ago ?, ah happy days, Paul H.

Take a look at this website: Air Force Info

It has several references to the 7405th Support Squadron and their activities with the EC-130Es and other types that preceded these. Here is one of the pages: Spyplanes at Tempelhof

Thanks for the replies gents, all info gratefully received! It always makes me wonder with the often high powered signals being transmitted to and from the aircraft in such roles, especially those counter signals to block/dissuade the recon aircraft, if the crews were statistically more likely to get cancer(s) in later life ? There were stories of the Russians firing high powered beams at embassies to damage equipment and personnel in certain locales during the cold war.


SHJ