RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft moves into position behind a KC-135T/R Stratotanker for an aerial refueling at a speed greater than 250 knots over Southwest Asia. When connected to the refueling boom, the aircraft will receive more than 40,000 pounds of fuel allowing it to remain on station or move on to other stations to perform its mission. The RC-135 flightcrew of Capt. Mike Edmondson, pilot; 1st Lt. Erik Todoroff, copilot; and 1st Lt. Chris Young, navigator are deployed to the 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, in Southwest Asia, from 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. They are natives of East Moline, Il., Jackson, Mich., and Charleston S.C.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung)
As this publication published two days ago, Eurofighter Typhoons are now escorting RC-135 RIVET JOINT flights over the Black Sea. However, UK Defense Secretary Wallace has confirmed to press what Russian military bloggers were claiming on September 30th, that two Russian Su-27s shadowed an RC-135 on September 29th, 2022 and fired an air-to-air missile on that British plane.