US KC135 stratotanker doing racetracks between Krakow and Ukrainian border

Been up a long time...wonder what/who they're holding for?

 

thats what they do, they have specific corridors they loiter in.

 

There are many tankers (US, UK, DE, NL) up there right now. I assume they support the jets you don't see on the map.

 

Are we restricted to post only links to ADSB-Exchange here? I've been watching FR24, since adsbexchange seems to be lacking receivers in Romania and possibly Poland.

NATO seems to have quite a few tankers doing racetracks along the russian border. I've seen KC135s, KC10s, A330MRTT.

I've seen lots of LAGRxxxx callsigns (mostly on KC135s), some MMFxx (usually on the A330s) and the KC10 I spotted had NCHOxxxx.

Should I post links to FR24?

 

Pointless. FR24 is garbage and hide the history for most of them. Nothing but a scam to fool fools, a cult of FR24. Post FR24 garbage on their FR24 dumpster fire, not here. A lot of the time FR24 seems to be faking the data based on the last known vector or some flight plan. Blah.

 

Why? They are almost all on the globe.adsbexchange.com map. Filter on military BUT I do find it remarkable that after (local time eastern border) darkness the number of visible aircraft decreases substantialy. Also the jets which are there are not spotted, some exceptions when far from eastern border. Keep in mind, not all tankers are KC135. There are A400M, A332, etc.

I have noticed in recent weeks (locally - I see them visually but not on the map) that often times ADSB is switched off. I am actually surprised at the number of planes which do identify themself... For example REDEYE6 and several Beechcraft 200's, almost constantly.

 

Well, they show some planes over eastern Romania that adsbexchange doesn't show, probably because there are no feeders in the Brasov region. The tankers are flying not that high, so I assume they just can't be seen. I'm trying to talk one of my colleagues into setting up a feeder there, but no luck yet.

 

I just spotted another interesting one: https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=3b7780 - is identified by the database as Boeing NC-135. It belongs to France, if it belonged to the US, I'd be thinking it's one of the experimental airborne anti-missile lasers. Callsign is TOTAL91, so I assume it's just another tanker, just French.

And yes, I know there are tankers other than KC-135, as you can see in my earlier post, I think there's even some kind of pattern to their callsigns. BTW, a few hours ago, another KC-10 took off in Mildenhall. Callsign is NCHO223 (similar to the other KC-10 this morning and it's orbiting in the same area).

 

NC-135's are Atmospheric Research aircraft. Their original role was AEC ( Atomic Energy Commission ) Test beds for Atomic weapons studies.

That role was completed and a new role was discovered inadvertently, of Atmospheric and Cosmic Research.

After that, the "Big Crow" Modification came about. this is a GIANT ASS ECM/EW Suite.

 

if a NC-135 is operating in the area, 1 of 2 things is going on.

Regional ECM/EW Area Denial or, because of the recent elevation of readiness of Putin's Nuclear Forces it may be on station should a Nuclear Event occur.

Secondary: Because Chernobyl was captured and during the fighting the area was disturbed, Gamma Detectors have been rising in detection rates for the soils being disturbed.

I cant find any reference to the original Atmospheric AEC Variant still flying, but it might be possible. as far as I know, the WC-135 Phoenix took over that role as Atmospheric research.


EDIT: Further research shows we only have 1 NC-135W and its a stateside only testbed for RC-135W RivetJoint systems testing.

So that is actually a French C-135 Tanker.

 

speaking of NC135s....

 

For the sake of completeness, here's the link: https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=ae01d9

As of now, he's airborne.

Edit: and here's his sibling, TOPCT35: https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=ae01cb

 

AE01D9 is a TC-135, a Training Platform for the RC-135. Serial Number 62-4133, is by record a training aircraft.

Note the lack of antenna's and most notably the side Cheek Fairings.

TC-135's lack most of the functional systems and are just familiarization platforms on seeing how you sit and operate before actually getting into a RC-135.


Your Second link is AE01CB a RC-135W, listed by serial number
62-4135 as a RC-135W Combat Sent, not a NC-135.

Notice the cheek SAR RADAR Fairings are present, the plethora of antenna's all along the belly, as noted lacking on the first link.

 

TC-135



No extra, dorsal or belly antenna's, no Side Looking SAR Cheeks. Serial Number 62-4133 a TC-135 Training

 

RC-135W Combat Sent

Serial Number 62-4135

Note the now visible Side Looking SAR Cheeks and the plethora of Dorsal and Belly Antenna's.