RAF Rivet Joint conducts intelligence missions near Russia

A Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint conducted intelligence-gathering missions along the Finnish-Russian border and near Kaliningrad, monitoring Russian military activity on NATO’s eastern flank. The signals intelligence aircraft orbited areas near St Petersburg and the Suwałki corridor to collect electromagnetic emissions, including radar and communications signals.

In a separate strategic development, the United Kingdom and France announced measures to enable Ukraine to produce SCALP/Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles domestically. The British government will allow MBDA to release classified information regarding British-made components to support the establishment of local assembly lines in Ukraine.

Additionally, a multinational exercise involving the UK, US, and France successfully tested air-to-air refuelling between an RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint and a French A330 MRTT Phénix. This integration aims to expand the tanker network available to British and American intelligence aircraft, potentially providing access to over 30 allied tankers worldwide to increase mission endurance.