emand for ongoing intelligence about the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
(DRPK) remains unchanged despite the
potential relaxation of global concerns over North
Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and
the intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to
deliver them. Any future agreement that would
limit or prohibit testing of North Korean missiles
and nuclear weapons will still require verification.
Although satellites, ground stations and other
aircraft, including U-2s and EP-3Es, contribute
to these assessments, two variants of C-135 are
regular monitors of the North’s nuclear weapon
and ICBM programmes: the RC-135S Cobra
Ball and the WC-135C/W Constant Phoenix.
Both of these have a well-established legacy
of conducting reconnaissance missions around
North Korea, and not without some risk.
The 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base,
Nebraska, is home base for these assets. To
monitor the situation in North Korea, they
deploy to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan,
although they have been noted operating from
Yokota AB, Japan, often due to inclement
weather in the Ryukyu Islands. Crews fromthe 45th Reconnaissance Squadron (RS)
fly the Cobra Ball with additional personnel
from the 390th Intelligence Squadron (IS,
previously the 6990th Security Squadron)
on measurement and signature intelligence
(MASINT) and telemetry intelligence (TELINT)
missions. The 45th RS crews also fly
the Constant Phoenix nuclear detection
(NUDINT) atmospheric sampling aircraft on
behalf of multiple US agencies, including
the Air Force Technical Applications Center
(AFTAC) at Patrick AFB, Florida. MASINT
is particularly useful in analysing foreign
missile tests. Spectral analysis of the
exhaust plume, for example, can reveal the
fuel’s chemical combination and specific
energy, from which the missile’s maximum
payload and range can be extrapolated.
Crews from the 38th and 343rd RS at Offutt
fly the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint on signals
intelligence (SIGINT) missions. According to
some published sources, these may monitor
ground activity as well as command and control
procedures associated with missile launches
and atomic tests, but any actual link withMissile monitors
Above: Model of post-blast downwind radionuclide
distribution following the May 25, 2009 DPRK
test for WC-135 Constant Phoenix sampling.
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization
Top: RC-135S 62-4128 shows the addition of the
multichannel emitter locating system (MUCELS)
antennas and ‘cheeks’. The RC-135S cheeks cover
TELINT antennas and are not part of the Automatic
ELINT Emitter Locating System (AEELS) found on
the Rivet Joint. Five small sensor windows above
the cheeks are on both sides of the fuselage. USAFD
52 // JULY 2018 #364 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comRC/WC-135 missions
Korean
standoff