© MOD Crown Copyright 2015 The second RC-135W signal intelligence aircraft under the Airseeker program have joined the Royal Air For...
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© MOD Crown Copyright 2015
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The second RC-135W signal intelligence aircraft under the Airseeker program have joined the Royal Air Force fleet, seven months earlier than scheduled.
The surveillance aircraft was handed over on Friday, Sept 4, at RAF Mildenhall air base in Suffolk, and will be deployed to operation within a few weeks.
The aircraft incorporates over 60 improvements ranging from upgrades to the aircraft’s mission systems to engine improvements providing increased fuel efficiency and durability.
The first Airseeker commenced operations in July 2014 and is currently employed alongside other RAF units in the fight against ISIL supporting operations in Iraq and Syria.
In due course, it will undergo an upgrade programme to bring the aircraft in line with the improvements made on the second aircraft.
The Airseeker not only gathers data and vital intelligence using advanced sensor technology, but it is also able to carry out onboard analysis and distribute the information to be exploited by assets on the ground via its high-tech communications suite.
