Only two mysterious US military reconnaissance aircraft in the world are heading to Europe. Foreign media revealed that they may be preparing to use force against Iraq.

Data photo of the U.S. Air Force RC-135U "Combat Sentinel" electronic reconnaissance aircraft. (Taken from the U.S. Air Force)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. Air Force's RC-135U "Combat Sent" electronic reconnaissance aircraft, which is regarded as the most professional technical electronic intelligence platform of the U.S. military, is the only two aircraft in the world and has been deployed across the Atlantic to the United Kingdom. In the context of continued tensions between the United States and Iran, this extremely rare transfer of military equipment has attracted great attention and has been widely interpreted by the outside world as one of the intelligence preparation steps for the US military to potentially expand military operations against Iran.

The professional defense media "Aerospace Global News" reported that the RC-135U with aircraft number 64-14849 and call sign "COBRA49" took off from Offutt AFB, Nebraska, USA on the 3rd, transited through New Hampshire, crossed the Atlantic, and successfully landed at RAF Mildenhall, UK, on ​​the 4th. The report pointed out that the Madden Howe Base has long been an important transit springboard for the US military to the Middle East, and the entry of rare equipment this time is particularly sensitive.

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Combat Sentinel specializes in precise mapping of air defense radars

The RC-135U "Combat Sentinel" is the core platform of the US military's Technical Electronic Intelligence (TechELINT). The core mission of the aircraft is to accurately locate, identify and in-depth analyze the emission characteristics of enemy land-based, sea-based and air-based radar systems, and provide strategic-level intelligence to high-level decision-makers and theater commanders. Its fuselage is equipped with a unique chin, wingtip and extended tail antenna array, which can intercept and analyze multiple electronic signals at the same time.

Military experts pointed out that the data collected by RC-135U is directly used to develop radar warning receivers, jammers, decoys and anti-radiation missiles, and to establish the opponent's electronic warfare sequence. In possible operations in the Middle East, the emergence of such rare equipment means that the US military is strengthening its detailed mapping and vulnerability analysis of Iran's air defense network.

According to public flight tracking information, the aircraft is still parked at a British base. The report pointed out that although Madden Hall Base is often used as a transit springboard to the Middle East, this landing does not guarantee that it will be transferred to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM); some open source intelligence analysts believe that this may be just an annual routine baseline sampling mission.