Photos Reveal US Air Force Spying Capabilities
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Recently released photos show a fleet of specialized United States military aircraft staged on a flight line, highlighting their capabilities for a wide range of intelligence-gathering missions.
The 55th Wing of the U.S. Air Force, an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance unit headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, told Newsweek in a statement that its aircraft and personnel conduct missions that defend the U.S. and safeguard global security.
Why It Matters
The U.S. Air Force often deploys its reconnaissance aircraft overseas to gather intelligence on America's adversaries. Forward deployment locations include Kadena Air Base in Japan, Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom, and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
American spy flights off the coasts of Russia and China have been intercepted by Russian and Chinese fighter jets. Moscow has stated it will not allow its borders to be violated, while Beijing has accused Washington of conducting "close-in reconnaissance" near its territory.
Several U.S. Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft park on the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 1, 2025.
Several U.S. Air Force RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft park on the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 1, 2025.
Chad Watkins/U.S Air Force
What To Know
A set of seven photos released by the 55th Wing over the weekend shows several U.S. Air Force aircraft parked on the flightline at Offutt Air Force Base at night on June 1.
These aircraft included the RC-135U Combat Sent, the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint, and the WC-135 Constant Phoenix. They are developed from the C-135 Stratolifter transport aircraft.
The Combat Sent can locate and identify foreign military radar signals, while the Rivet Joint detects, identifies, and geolocates electromagnetic signals. The Constant Phoenix conducts air-sampling missions, collecting particulates in the air for detecting nuclear explosions.
A U.S. Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent aircraft, right, parks on the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 1, 2025.
A U.S. Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent aircraft, right, parks on the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 1, 2025.
Chad Watkins/U.S. Air Force
In the statement, the 55th Wing stated that the unit has global reach and enduring strategic impact by maintaining forward-deployed units around the globe, ensuring what it described as "rapid and persistent global ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] coverage."
In addition to the aforementioned specialized aircraft, the Nebraska-based unit operates the so-called "rapidly deployable" RC-135S Cobra Ball, which is designed for collecting data on ballistic missiles, a vital information that cannot be obtained by "any other source."
What People Are Saying
The 55th Wing of the U.S. Air Force, in a statement to Newsweek: "While we do not disclose operational status or comment on specific interactions with foreign military aircraft for operational security, the 55th Wing remains steadfast in executing its mission with precision, professionalism, and strict adherence to international standards."
Offutt Air Force Base, on its website: "[The 55th Wing's] mission is to provide dominant information warfare forces through electromagnetic spectrum operations, information operations, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and nuclear command, control and communications to the Joint Forces and national leadership, any time, any place."
Two U.S. Air Force WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft, left and center, and an RC-135U Combat Sent aircraft park on the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 1, 2025.
Two U.S. Air Force WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft, left and center, and an RC-135U Combat Sent aircraft park on the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on June 1, 2025.
Chad Watkins/U.S. Air Force
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how the U.S. military maintains its worldwide airborne spying missions amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula, across the Taiwan Strait, and in the Middle East.
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