RC-135V/W Rivet Joint

Conflict Usage

United States-Iran Conflict

Side: United StatesRole: Signals intelligence reconnaissance patrolreconnaissanceelectronic warfare

Used by U.S. forces for signals-intelligence reconnaissance during Operation Epic Fury, with flight-tracking and defense reporting documenting RC-135 Rivet Joint operations from Crete and over the Arabian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz.

RC-135V/W Rivet Joint Images

Related Weapon Systems

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Aircraft & UAVsVectorElectric VTOL fixed-wing reconnaissance UAVVector is a German Quantum Systems electric VTOL fixed-wing small UAV built for mid-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. In Ukrainian service it provides quiet launch-and-recovery flexibility, encrypted real-time video, EO/IR sensing, and AI-assisted target detection for front-line reconnaissance missions in contested conditions.

Aircraft & UAVsE-11A airborne communications relay aircraftAirborne communications relay and gateway aircraftThe E-11A is a U.S. Air Force Battlefield Airborne Communications Node aircraft built from a Bombardier business jet to relay and translate tactical data, voice, and imagery for distributed air, ground, and maritime forces. In the United States-Iran Conflict, CENTCOM listed E-11A communications aircraft among the assets used in Operation Epic Fury, showing the type's role as a high-flying command-and-control gateway rather than a strike platform.

Sources