RAF Rivet Joint

[cpants]

55th Wing and a prayer

Credit: Jeff Koterba, Omaha World-Herald

[Heathrow Harry]

Thanks Cpants - let's just hope it never comes to that!!!

[RAFEngO74to09]

RC-135 Rivet Joint Flight Deck Simulator just delivered to RAF Waddington - in an AN-124 !

Twitter

[Rhino power]

It was delivered by a Dubai registered Antonov AN-124 aircraft...

Dubai registered? Last time I checked, a 'UR-' prefix still denoted a Ukraine registered aircraft!

-RP

[son of brommers]

Originally Posted by Rhino power

Dubai registered? Last time I checked, a 'UR-' prefix still denoted a Ukraine registered aircraft!

-RP

I reckon that's politically correct spin so as not to upset Putin or to keep the conspiracy theorists at bay over "foreign powers being involved in our defence capabilities" Why else make such a big play over where an aircraft is registered?

[RAFEngO74to09]

Video of the AN-124 landing at Waddington here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMOsk9czDmY&" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMOsk9czDmY&

[RAFEngO74to09]

First upgraded RAF aircraft:

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/brit...fter-upgrades/

[Asturias56]

Jeez -RAFENG you can get a lot more kit into that one that arrived at Waddington (photo above) - no wonder they went for the upgrade

[ORAC]

https://x.com/defenceeye_news/status...751004471?s=61

Negotiations to buy 3 (possibly 1-2 more..?) Hensoldt Pegasus SIGINT/ELINT aircraft have seen an agreement between the German company and the UK MoD.

​​​​​​​This means that around 2030, the first aircraft will arrive, and the current Rivet Joints will be returned to the USA.

[Strucky]

Do you think this is related to intelligence independence since Trump? I do not think 2030 was the Rivet Joint out of service date.

[downsizer]

I thought RJ was 2035, with shadow now being 2030 since it's MLU was canned?

[esscee]

"Damien" just landed back at Wad after a 11000ft 270mph "transit flight" from Trondheim, where it has been since Monday.
Hope it has not been on the "receiving end" of one of Vlad's flyboys again.

[TEEEJ]

From April 2026, Russian Air Force Flankers got a bit too close to an RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint over the Black Sea. The Defence Secretary has highlighted the professionalism of Royal Air Force crews and reaffirmed the UK’s unwavering commitment to NATO, following an incident in which an RAF aircraft was intercepted by Russian fighters while operating in international airspace over the Black Sea.

Speaking about the incident, John Healey described the actions of the Russian pilots as “dangerous and unacceptable,” underlining that the RAF aircraft was conducting a routine, lawful mission in support of NATO’s collective security.

https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...ver-black-sea/

X - Formerly Twitter

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by TEEEJ

Speaking about the incident, John Healey described the actions of the Russian pilots as “dangerous and unacceptable,” underlining that the RAF aircraft was conducting a routine, lawful mission in support of NATO’s collective security.

I'm guessing that MOD stopped the Typhoon escort flights for the Black Sea Rivet missions a long while ago on account of cost saving after the last incident over the Black Sea.
No doubt this is why the Russians have decided to play silly buggers again.
I suppose MOD will go back to sending up a pair of Typhoon's again for a few weeks token gesture, and then stop due to cost, and Russia will play silly buggers again.......repeat ad nauseum.