Wanna Know If A New DPRK Missile Test Is About To Take Place? Look For This U.S. Aircraft Online…

By David Cenciotti

You can monitor online the U.S. RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft used to track ballistic missiles reentry vehicles and warheads during the final phase of flight.

Early in the morning on Jul 4, North Korea successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time.

The ICBM, referred to as Hwasong-14, reached a height of 2,802 kilometers, according to the state-run Korea Central Television (KCTV). The missile was launched from Panghyon, in North Pyongan province, and flew into waters east of the Korean Peninsula after traveling for about 930 kilometers.

The latest missile launch, as well as the previous ones, was almost certainly monitored by the U.S. Forces deployed to the region, using a variety of aerial, ground-based, sea-going assets.

The U.S. Air Force relies on its small contingent of RC-135S Cobra Ball missile tracking aircraft. Based at Offutt Air Force Base, outside Omaha, Nebraska, and  flown by the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, these intelligence gathering aircraft are often deployed where needed to track ballistic missiles reentry vehicles and warheads during the final phase of flight. The aircraft is equipped with a powerful radar array on the starboard side of the fuselage, just aft of the cockpit. Several optical quality windows are mounted on the starboard side as well, allowing infrared and visible spectrum cameras to record the warheads during their final moments of flight. A distinctive feature of the Cobra Ball is the black low-glare paint used on the starboard wing, to improve image quality and prevent glare during photography.

Unsurprisingly, two Cobra Ball aircraft  (61-2662 and 61-2663) are currently deployed to Yokota Air Base, Japan, from where it is launched when there are signs of an imminent North Korean test. What is far more surprising is the fact that, in spite of their important role, RC-135S aircraft are among the military planes that can be tracked online by exploiting the signals broadcast by their Mode S/ADS-B transponders.

By observing the activities of the RC-135S in Japan you may have a pretty clear idea of what is happening or about to happen in North Korea. For instance, last night, the fact that the Cobra Ball was airborne from Yokota might suggest that the U.S. intelligence had detected activities at the launch site and was preparing to monitor the test. This is the reason why I tweeted the following (later confirmed by the news of the ICBM test):

And that was not the first time. Just a coincidence? Most probably not, considered that the Cobra Ball does not fly that much and almost all sorties tracked online in Japan coincided with North Korea’s tests.

Here are some examples:

On Apr. 15, North Korea test-fired an unidentified land-based missile from the naval base in Sinpo. An RC-135S was flying over Japan:

On May 13, North Korea test-fired an intermediate range ballistic missile, from a test site on the country’s West Coast. That launch reached a then-record altitude of around 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) and a Cobra Ball was airborne to watch and collect data:

On Jun. 20, a Cobra Ball and WC-135 Constant Phoenix “nuclear sniffer” flew over Japan. It was later unveiled that the spy satellites had detected new activity at the North Korean nuclear test site.

So, if you want to know when Kim Jong Un is preparing for a new test, you may try to look for a Cobra Ball or Constant Phoenix airborne over Japan on ADSBexchange or simply follow some of the Twitter accounts who constantly track such aircraft, such as our friend @CivMilAir who provided us with most of the updates on the RC-135 and WC-135 flights in the area.

Program office makes first FAB-T delivery this week

By Chuck Paone, 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

A new family of satellite communication terminals, known as Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals, or FAB-Ts, are under development and being tested. Eventually they will be installed in aircraft like the RC-135 Rivet Joint shown here. FAB-T will provide information to and from ground and airborne platforms over protected and wideband satellite communications and line-of-sight systems. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Deborah Davis)

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFMCNS) — This week, officials here provided the first of a new family of satellite communication terminals to the B-2 program office, making it easier to move large amounts of voice, data, imagery, and video to and from the platform.

This iteration of the Family of Advanced Beyond Line of Sight Terminals, or FAB-T, is what's known as an engineering development model. It will be used to support aircraft platform integration and testing, according to Capt. Jeremy Kruger, FAB-T's systems engineering and test Integrated Product Team leader.

Many additional terminals will be provided in the next few months, including one to support flight testing planned for spring 2009, he said.

FAB-T will provide information to and from ground and airborne platforms over protected and wideband satellite communications and line-of-sight systems. FAB-T is required to be interoperable with all Air Force, Army and Navy extremely high frequency, or EHF, terminals.

This delivery comes on the heels of a successful December demonstration during which program officials used FAB-T to successfully send and receive text over an operational Milstar satellite. The demonstration transferred information between an engineering development model terminal stationed in a contractor facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a Milstar Air Force Command Post Terminal in Bedford, Mass.

"This demonstration not only showed the ability of the terminal to communicate over the operational satellite; it also showed interoperability with the current workhorse terminal for nuclear command and control," said Captain Kruger.

Lt. Col. Mark Davis, FAB-T Increment-1 program manager, lauded the combined government-contractor teams for the success.

"Their diligence helped achieve this critical milestone, providing the first end-to-end confirmation of the FAB-T strategic communications capability that will be critical for our nation's nuclear command and control mission," the colonel said.

Program managers here are using an evolutionary acquisition approach to provide this family of multi-mission capable terminals, all to be built on an open architecture. The acquisition strategy is structured around four increments, Captain Kruger said. Each increment will provide more capability than the last.

Through the increments, terminals will be installed on various military platforms, enabling strategic and conventional bombers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, special air mission aircraft, and strategic airlift platforms to maintain connectivity with rear and deployed forces.

In early testing, FAB-T has already demonstrated interoperability at low data rates with the Air Force legacy command post terminal and the Army Single Channel Anti-jam ManPortable Terminal, said Jeff Rattray a 46th Test Squadron contractor supporting FAB-T.

Ultimately, the Increment One FAB-T will be capable of sending data at rates from 75 bits per second up over eight Megabits per second, Mr. Rattray said.

Increment 1 of FAB-T develops a protected, survivable, and enduring satellite communications terminal to support EHF nuclear command and control. After DoD launches the Advanced EHF satellites, it will provide higher data rate communications for other missions.

It will be fielded to multiple airborne platforms and ground sites. It will also provide the first EHF capability for the bomber fleet and replace the current Milstar Air Force command post terminal at many ground command and control sites around the world.

In January, FAB-T began functional qualification testing in support of this first delivery to the B-2 Program office. FAB-T Increment 1 will be installed on B-2, B-52, RC-135, E-4, and E-6 aircraft. It will be installed at ground command posts around the world in fixed and transportable configurations.

The prime contractor is Boeing, Huntington Beach, Calif., and the major subcontractors involved in the development are L-3 Communications West in Salt Lake City, UT, Rockwell Collins International (RCI) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and ViaSat Inc., Carlsbad, Calif.

RC-135 surpasses 50,000 flying-hour mark

by 2nd Lt. Tania Bryan, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Airman 1st Class Dock Caudhill and Staff Sgt. Casey Bode stand by for an RC-135 Rivet Joint to taxi March 12 at a Southwest Asia air base. Airman Caudhill and Sergeant Casey ensure aircraft has proper wing clearance from any obstructions before departing parking spot. Airman Caudhill and Sergeant Casey are assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny L. Saldivar)

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- A 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron RC-135 Rivet Joint surpassed the 50,000 flight-hour mark during a mission supporting Operation Enduring Freedom March 12.

RC-135 Tail No. 132 boasts an impressive resume of tours over the years including Vietnam, operations Southern and Northern Watch to current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This is the first RC-135 Rivet Joint and first of any C-135 airframe to reach this significant flying milestone," said Lt. Col. William Jensen, the 763rd ERS commander.

"This airframe and others like it maintain a constant presence around the globe; in the pacific, the Southern Hemisphere, Europe and Southwest Asia, the Rivet Joint maintainers, aviators, intelligence analysts and other specialists have done a terrific job keeping the mission going," said Brig. Gen. Charles W. Lyon, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing commander.

The RC-135 maintains that global presence while the fleet continues to age. Aircraft 62-4132 has been flying since 1962 and is No. 13 of the 14 original Rivet Joints in the inventory.

"We celebrate this milestone as we look forward to recapitalization so we can continue to provide this critical capability for America in the future," General Lyon said.

Although the RC-135 has been in service for 46 years and has been continuously deployed since 1990, it has been modified and upgraded with the latest technology and engineering advancements.

"The aircraft are meticulously maintained as a low density-high demand asset whose mission is always at the forefront of national security implications," said Colonel Jensen, who is deployed here from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

"As we mark this occasion we must remember the men and women of the "Fightin' 55th," at Offutt AFB led by Brig. Gen. James Jones, the 55th Wing commander," he said. "He and the Airmen at Offutt have the awesome responsibility of globally managing the forward deployments for this critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset. My hat is off to the entire 55th Wing team for reaching this tremendous milestone we celebrate today in (the U.S. Central Command) area of responsibility."

One of the most challenging aspects of that responsibility is maintaining the aircraft. According to the crew, hard work, sound maintenance procedures and continuous process improvement have allowed the Air Force to eke out every hour possible from this aging platform.

"The Air Force has done a superior job of providing the parts, maintenance and improvements needed for an aircraft of this age," Colonel Jensen said. "As a result, the maintainers, aircrew and mission crew are in constant coordination on the status, state of repair and capability of the platform."

The crew said the constant upkeep isn't easy.

"(The RC-135) is still flying, and still flying well, but a lot of hard work goes into 50,000 flying hours," said Senior Airman Josh Sexton, a 55th Aircraft Maintenance Unit crew chief.

"The Rivet Joint provides persistence surveillance missions -- every day, real-time, actionable intelligence that is a crucial part of integrating and synchronizing our joint air and ground team," the general said. "We've had many successes in the war on terrorism, many of which aren't publicized. The folks that fly, operate and maintain the Rivet Joint are quiet, professional warriors who are making a difference every day."

RC-135 outlasts 1960's contemporaries

By 2nd Lt. Tania Bryan, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
The RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft flight crew boards to perform cross-checks within the body of the aircraft Jan. 30 in Southwest Asia. The RC-135 has participated in every armed conflict involving U.S. assets. The RC-135 is the only aircraft that boasts a record of being continuously deployed for more than 17 years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Domonique Simmons)

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- In the year 1962, The Beatles recorded their debut single, "Love Me Do," "The Beverly Hillbillies" premiered on television, a ticket to the movies cost 50 cents and the first RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft rolled off the Boeing assembly line.

Now, nearly a half a century later, The Beatles haven't had a number-one single since the seventies, "The Beverly Hillbillies" can only be seen in reruns, and the average price of a movie ticket has risen to more than eight dollars, but the RC-135 continues its mission, having participated in every armed conflict involving U.S. assets. The RC-135 boasts a record of being continuously deployed for more than 17 years.

Based out of Southwest Asia, the RC-135 has maintained a presence in the Central Command area of responsibility since August 1990. The Airmen that have been charged with carrying out the mission of this vital intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance asset are proud members of the 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., Kadena Air Base, Japan, and Mildenhall Royal Air Force, England.

Cockpit crews, intelligence experts, electronic warfare officers, and in-flight maintenance technicians have rotated into and out of Southwest Asia along with the aircraft for a variety of duties over the past 17 years. While their tour lengths in the AOR may fluctuate, the mission remains the same: protecting the boots on the ground.

"(The RC-135) is an ISR platform that provides real-time targeting intelligence for the forces on the ground so that they can act on it," said Capt. Sean Cunniff, the 763rd ERS tactical coordinator. "We provide tactical support to troops in combat, close-air-support aircraft, other ISR platforms, and any other assets that need it."

The aviators aboard the aircraft do this by orbiting overhead and monitoring adversary signals. They can then relay that information to coalition forces to warn them of an imminent threat.

RC-135 aircraft commander Capt. Dave Dinan, with the 763rd ERS, refers to the mission as, "turning on the lights so that everyone can see."

A valuable feature of the RC-135 is the on-board communications suite that allows the crew to talk directly with a tactical air control party in real-time. This communications channel keeps the TACP on the ground up to speed on any threats or enemy advances and helps coordinate close-air-support.

Watching out for the safety and security of the convoys throughout the AOR is a big responsibility.

"Recently, a TACP paid our crew the highest compliment. He said, 'It's a comforting feeling knowing you guys are up there, overhead, watching our backs,'" Captain Cunniff said.

Echoing that sentiment, Lt. Col Christopher Cohoes, the commander of the 763rd ERS, says he receives e-mails and letters from ground commanders weekly thanking the 763rd for the tremendous advantage they give them over the enemy. "Our ability to integrate with the rest of the 379th (Air Expeditionary Wing) assets and all coalition forces on the ground results in a unity of effort that is awesome in its power," he said.

While deployments for crew members of the RC-135 are frequent, the experience gained is priceless, said Senior Airman Glenn Permar, a cryptologic operator aboard the aircraft.

"It's hard to execute the mission from home. Here, we are involved in the fight everyday, flying over 120 hours a month," Airman Permar said. "The feeling of job satisfaction I get from being here is very high. It comes with knowing what we are doing is important."

Deployed to the AOR for the first time, Airman Permar has volunteered to extend his tour here.

While what's "hot" and what's not may come and go, the RC-135 will continue to play a key role in Southwest Asia.

"We are heavily involved in (operations over Afghanistan), and many of the success stories you see in the air and on the ground can be linked to the work we do every day," said Colonel Cohoes. "(Operations over Afghanistan) are a key piece to winning the war on terrorism, and there is absolutely no doubt that the exceptional work we do there is putting a squeeze on the bad guys."

Reconnaissance aircraft, team reach milestone

By Staff Sgt. Francesca Popp
U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs

1/11/2007 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNEWS) -- It may not have the stealthy skin of the B-2 Spirit or be able to hover vertically like the CV-22 Osprey, but the RC-135 Rivet Joint is the only aircraft that Airmen can claim to be deployed continuously for 6,000 days.

This milestone can be touted by Airmen in the 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, the 55th Operations Group and the 55th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. The unit designation has changed over the last 16 years, but the mission focus has remained the same.

No matter whether it is called the Junk Yard Dog, Jungle Assassin, Fair Warning or Don't Bet on It, the Rivet Joint aircraft, as it's more commonly known, has maintained a presence in Southwest Asia since Aug. 9, 1990. Many of the RC-135s have been affectionately named during its tenure in the 55th Wing. Nose art, which was once visible from the outside, now can be found on the inside for the aircraft's corresponding tail number.

And while the RC-135 doesn't carry bombs or fly at mach speeds, its aircrews can eavesdrop on the enemy. This allows for other U.S. and coalition aircraft to stop the enemy in its tracks.
"We're getting a lot accomplished and helping with the fight," said Capt. Todd Williams, 763rd ERS tactical coordinator deployed from the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron at Offutt AFB. "I can't think of another platform that has been contributing as long as the Rivet Joint has and is always able to produce something to get to the guys on the ground."

The Airmen call this aircraft their "mile-high office;" and over the years, it has changed in many ways. The RC-135 originally was outfitted with small TF-33 engines that were more than 30 years old; the cockpit with round-dial gauges. Now, the aircraft has larger, more powerful engines and new glass TV-like automated avionics on the flight deck, making it on par with some of today's most advanced airliners.

"The mission and the aircraft are both dynamic entities, constantly changing," said Capt. Guy Perrow, 763rd ERS aircraft commander also deployed from the 38th RS. "When I began flying this aircraft, the round-dial system was entirely manual and analog, requiring one to read between the lines and mentally picture the entire flight plan from a God's-eye view using the data presented. With the new glass equipment, we're able to accurately display our position, timing and other information that has aided in our situational awareness.

"The upgraded features of the aircraft allow us to conduct our mission in a safer, more reliable fashion," he said. "We dedicate more of our efforts to fighting the war on terror, knowing our platform is capable of whatever we require of it."

Its mission also has evolved to meet the demands of today's battlefields. From early missions as a Cold War-era reconnaissance aircraft, the RC-135 now is fitted to contribute valuable intelligence to contingency and sensitive operations around the world.

The 44-year-old reconnaissance aircraft began converting to its current configuration in 1964. The retrofitted Boeing 707 weighs nearly 150 tons, carries an extensive inventory of electronics and a crew of 34. The first RC-135V variant went into service Aug. 8, 1973, while the newest RC-135 was added to the Air Force inventory in November 2006, bringing the total to 17. At any given time, a third of the fleet is in theater, a third are at Offutt AFB training aircrews and preparing to deploy, while the remainder are in depot maintenance facilities undergoing upgrades or refurbishment.

"These guys are rock stars without a mass following; but they do have an avid fan-base ... on the battlefield and at the decision-maker (general officer) level," said Lt. Col. Doug Sachs, 763rd ERS commander, deployed from the 82nd RS at Kadena Air Base, Japan.

Squadron Airmen have adapted to an ever-present deployment schedule, since they don't follow the regular Air Expeditionary Force rotation. Aircrew and maintainers alternate into theater on a 60-day on/60-day off cycle. This means anyone assigned to the unit could be deployed three times a year or more. The team deploys from Offutt AFB; Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom; and Kadena AB.

The front- and back-end maintainers, both military and civilian, and pilots and mission crews collectively keep the RC-135 flying.

"This platform has so many different entities coming together to make one mission," said Staff Sgt. Steven Lantz, 55th AMU RC-135 crew chief.

Rivet Joint aircrews supported operations around the world until the fall of the Iron Curtain in the late 1980s. Since then, the RC-135 community has been used in every operation in Southwest Asia from operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to the current operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The fleet and its crew are very adaptable; the aircraft can support the strategic, operational and tactical level of warfare on a single mission.

"During Desert Storm and Desert Shield, the jet was primarily a highly sensitive platform," said Master Sgt. Denny Nichols, 763rd ERS airborne mission supervisor deployed from the 97th Intelligence Squadron at Offutt AFB. "A lot of folks didn't even know we existed. Now, we're working with other assets and services. We can actually get out there and give information directly to the folks who need it and they know who we are now."

Sergeant Nichols has been involved with the RC-135 for almost 20 years and has deployed nearly 25 times, which totals more than 1,000 days.

"We're supporting the small tactical units on the ground," he said. "We can go direct to the warfighter via voice or chat and give them a heads-up to a threat in their area."
The RC-135 is configured with communication and computer systems stacked floor to ceiling and running the entire length of the plane. The equipment alone weighs about 40 tons. Highly skilled Airmen use this equipment to scout the battlefield and to help "find the bad guys." Airmen in the 763rd ERS, also known as "Sundawgs," live by their motto: "Always on the hunt."
Everything the aircrews and maintainers do helps ensure the RC-135s continue to fly and communicate information to the tactical fighters on the ground.

"The aviators, officer and enlisted, care about their job and know it's a job worth doing," Colonel Sachs said. "They recognize and understand the importance of the mission and the intelligence they gather to military's success against today's war on terrorism.

"The assets we train with are the ones we fight with," he said. "Combatant commanders have a near-insatiable demand for our platform and Airmen, yet the 55th Wing must maintain the training pipeline to sustain the long-term effort, and to train combat-mission ready crews on the latest platform modifications. It's a real testament to the Fightin' Fifty Fifth's warriors that we've made this mission happen over the long haul.

"Without tenacity, persistence and a tremendous amount of 'service before self,' we wouldn't have met this milestone," Colonel Sachs said. "Pausing to look back at our history and understanding the heritage of the Rivet Joint airframe and people, we're better able to prepare for the horizons ahead."