EC-135

EC-135
Name	EC-135
Type	Electronic warfare / airborne command post
Manufacturer	Boeing
First flight	1961
Introduced	1962

EC-135 The EC-135 is an airborne command, control, communications, and electronic warfare platform derived from the Boeing 707 family, developed during the Cold War to support strategic command, airborne early warning, and airborne communication relay roles. It served with units of the United States Air Force, operated alongside NATO allies such as Royal Air Force, and participated in operations linked to crises involving Soviet Union, Cuban Missile Crisis, and later Operation Desert Storm. The airframe's lineage traces to commercial and military designs including the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker and the Boeing 707-320, reflecting industrial ties with Boeing Wichita plants and contractors like Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin.

Development and Design

The program began under requirements issued by the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command, collaborating with system integrators such as IBM, Hughes Aircraft Company, and General Dynamics to embed secure communications suites and survivable command systems. Designers adapted the Boeing 707/KC-135 fuselage, modifying fuel systems influenced by designs from Boeing Commercial Airplanes engineers and structural methods developed at Boeing Field. Avionics were supplied via contracts with Raytheon, RCA, Motorola, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation for radios, transceivers, and defensive aids; antenna arrays were tested at laboratories including Lincoln Laboratory and Naval Research Laboratory. The defensive and electronic countermeasure packages incorporated sensors and emitters derived from programs by Northrop Corporation and Grumman research teams, while cockpit ergonomics were revised with input from Air Mobility Command specialists and flight crews experienced from Strategic Air Command operations.

Variants

Multiple specialized EC-135 types emerged to meet NATO and USAF roles, with conversions performed by maintenance depots such as Tinker Air Force Base and contractors like Pan American World Airways' maintenance divisions. Variant designations paralleled missions associated with command post duties similar to those filled by National Emergency Airborne Command Post and airborne platforms akin to E-4B Nightwatch, E-3 Sentry, and E-6 Mercury. Upgrades addressed interoperability with systems used by North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces, incorporating encryption standards from National Security Agency collaborations and data-links interoperable with assets like B-52 Stratofortress, FB-111, and F-15 Eagle.

Operational History

EC-135 aircraft entered service amid tensions involving Cuban Missile Crisis aftermath and deployments supporting deterrence during the Cold War. Squadrons of the USAF deployed EC-135s to forward bases such as RAF Mildenhall, RAF Scampton, and Andersen Air Force Base for contingency operations tied to events like Vietnam War logistics, Operation Urgent Fury, and later Gulf War. Crews trained at facilities including Keesler Air Force Base and Offutt Air Force Base, conducting exercises with units from NATO partner forces and participating in joint operations alongside assets from United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and allied air arms including Royal Canadian Air Force. Maintenance and sustainment involved depots managed by Air Force Materiel Command with supply chains reaching firms like Honeywell International and General Electric.

Roles and Missions

The EC-135 performed strategic airborne command post duties, airborne communications relay, strategic airborne control, and electronic intelligence collection. Missions included continuity of government support related to directives from offices such as White House executive staff, coordination with nuclear-capable forces including Minuteman III crews and B-52 Stratofortress wings, and interoperability with maritime commands like United States Fleet Forces Command. Tasks encompassed airborne command and control during crises, survivable communications for national leadership, coordination of strategic bomber tasking, and provision of airborne early warning information for theater commanders operating in conjunction with platforms like AWACS and E-2 Hawkeye.

Operators

Primary operators included units within the United States Air Force and organizations assigned to Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command missions. NATO and allied basing involved coordination with Royal Air Force units and support from logistics hubs such as Ramstein Air Base. Crews were composed of specialists trained through programs affiliated with Air Force Institute of Technology and interagency liaisons from the National Security Council and Defense Intelligence Agency.

Specifications

- Crew: aircrew, mission staff, and communications specialists assigned under organizational procedures from United States Air Force squadrons. - Airframe: derived from Boeing 707/KC-135 Stratotanker family structural design and powered by variants of Pratt & Whitney or General Electric turbofan engines used on contemporaneous models. - Avionics: integrated secure communications, electronic countermeasures, and data-links developed with contractors including Raytheon, Hughes Aircraft Company, Motorola, and standards influenced by National Security Agency requirements. - Role capabilities: airborne command post, communications relay, and electronic warfare support compatible with platforms like E-4B Nightwatch, E-3 Sentry, and E-6 Mercury.

Category:United States military aircraft