US sends one of its rarest spy planes to the Middle East
The United States is deploying the rare RC-135U Combat Sent electronic reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East, tasked with locating and analyzing radar and air defense systems. The US Air Force operates only two such aircraft.
The United States is deploying one of its most strategic and rare electronic reconnaissance aircraft to the Middle East – the RC-135U Combat Sent. The US Air Force has only two active aircraft of this type, both based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The aircraft specializes in electronic intelligence gathering: it detects, identifies, and analyzes transmissions from military radar systems on land, sea, and air. The collected data is used to develop jamming and countermeasures against enemy systems. The aircraft has aerial refueling capability and a basic range of about 4,000 nautical miles. The mission is defined as strategic intelligence collection for the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and senior Pentagon officials. The deployment to the Middle East provides advanced capability for mapping and analyzing electronic and air defense systems in the region.