RC-135 family aircraft

RC-135 family aircraft are intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems that share a common airframe, the KC-135 Stratotanker, an air refueling tanker derived from a commercial airliner. Some variants have been built for exceptionally specialized purposes as unique aircraft, but there are several series that are used extensively.

To increase deployment flexibility, a program is underway to be able to exchange the payloads among aircraft. The challenge here is less the internal electronics, but the antennas, and, in some cases, mounts for telescopes and other sensors that protrude through the skin and need streamlined mounts.

Among the major types are: