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If you don't know, you probably don't need to know.

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The USA operates 15 of these in-demand aircraft, which have been used in both Iraq wars, and can also be found over missions like Bosnia, Haiti, et al. Their extended “thimble” noses and cheek fairings are very recognizable, and have given them the nickname “hogs”. The USAF’s fleet went from 14 to 15 in 1999 with the addition of a converted C-135B, and currently stands at 17.
If this contract goes through, Britain will become the only Rivet Joint operator in the world outside of the United States. The sensitivity of its technologies are such that only a very few countries would even be considered for a sale. Australia, Britain, Canada, and possibly Japan would likely exhaust the potential list.
Rivet Joint aircraft are so important that they are assigned tasks at the national level, above even theater commanders like CENTCOM. Their crews’ job is to collect and relay signals and communications, snooping on enemy transmissions and radar emissions. The planes are advanced enough to precisely locate, record and analyze much of what is being done in the electromagnetic spectrum within their coverage area, which is large enough to cover most countries over the course of a mission flight. They can convey this information, or relay other high bandwidth communications, using a communications array that includes satellite channels, the Tactical Digital Information Link (TADIL/A), the Tactical Information Broadcast Service (TIBS), and other options.

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Project Helix will provide a rapidly deployable airborne electronic surveillance
capability, against an evolving and increasingly complex target set up to
2025. The capability will support operations where it will collect, analyse,
fuse and disseminate a coherent and readily interpretable electronic
surveillance picture in support of national, joint and coalition operations.
This information will support targeting and combat identification.

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The original concept of the Project was for the procurement of
a modern mission system to fit into existing Nimrod R1 aircraft,
together with ground analysis facilities, training facilities and a
support solution to the planned Out of Service Date of 2025.
The procurement strategy to realise this concept was selection of
a preferred bidder by a competitive and phased‐down selection
process. Following a submission to the Defence Board by
Nimrod IPTL and the Director of Equipment Capability (ISTAR),
the Investment Approvals Board directed in 2008 that an
additional option focused on the US Rivet Joint system should be
considered. This was included in the Main Gate business case.

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How does quoting a previous post work on this forum? I can't find a way to do it

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