CAS flies on Black Sea Rivet Joint mission
March 21, 2025
“The Rivet Joint is a remarkable capability, and it was fantastic to see first hand how 51 Squadron execute their mission in the Black Sea. Their focus, professionalism, and intelligence output are exceptional and invaluable,” Knighton enthused.
No.51 Squadron’s operations were once shrouded in secrecy such that even the unit’s role was not openly acknowledged, and the squadron was frequently omitted from published orders of battle. The RAF’s own website now acknowledges that the unit specialises in collecting electronic intelligence, and that the RC-135W Rivet Joint is: a “dedicated electronic surveillance aircraft that can be employed in all theatres on strategic and tactical missions. Its sensors ‘soak up’ electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems. The RC-135W Rivet Joint employs multidiscipline Weapons System Officer (WSO) and Weapons System Operator (WSOp) specialists whose mission is to survey elements of the electromagnetic spectrum in order to derive intelligence for commanders.”
Beyond that, the RAF keeps most details close to its chest, refusing to confirm crew numbers and the division between ELINT and COMINT specialists.
Perhaps surprisingly, details have emerged of the regular Rivet Joint missions flown in the Black Sea, which have sometimes been eventful. On 29 September 2022 two Russian Su-27s shadowed a Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea for a total of around 90 minutes before one of the Russian pilots “fired a missile in the vicinity of the RAF Rivet Joint [from] beyond visual range.”
The RAF aircraft was, by then, flying about 200-km from the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea.
Russia and the UK Ministry of Defence described the release as a “technical malfunction,” but leaked classified materials from the US Department of Defense suggested that the missile had actually fired deliberately after the ‘Flanker’ pilot misunderstood an order from a ground control intercept (GCI) operator and that the weapon then suffered a technical malfunction, missing its target.
The pilot of the second Su-27 remonstrated with his wingman after the first missile was fired, leading to an expletive-laden argument between the two. The first pilot then fired a second missile at the RC-135, but this reportedly simply fell from the wing, perhaps malfunctioning or having its launch aborted.
The UK Ministry of Defence questioned the leaked Pentagon documents, claiming a “serious level of inaccuracy.” The MoD added that “readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation.”
The UK MoD later said that: “Our intent has always been to protect the safety of our operations, avoid unnecessary escalation, and inform the public and international community. This incident is a stark reminder of the potential consequences of Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine.”
Following the incident, RAF Rivet Joint operations over the Black Sea were frequently escorted by RAF Typhoon fighters (often operating from Mihail Kogălniceanu air base near Constansa, Romania), leading to some interactions between RAF and Russian fighters. Not all Rivet Joint flights to the region approach Russian controlled territory so closely, and missions that remain over Moldova or the Romanian Danube delta are usually flown without fighter escort.
On 11 October 2024, an RAF RC-135W Rivet Joint, made history by becoming the first allied aircraft to complete a full transit along the entire length of NATO’s eastern border, from NATO’s most southerly point in the Mediterranean off Greece to the Barents Sea in the high north, off Finland, prior to recovering to its home base at RAF Waddington..
The RAF’s Air and Space Commander, Air Marshal Alan Marshall, underlined the significance of the mission, saying that: “This is a landmark moment and demonstrates the UK’s unwavering commitment to NATO.”
“The RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft from 51 Squadron, forms part of the RAF’s Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Force and has the ability to hoover up a huge amount of data which on-board crew analysts can quickly process, exploit and then disseminate high priority information to air and ground units in real time.”
“The Rivet Joint routinely conducts transits along the borders of individual NATO countries but completing it in one sortie demonstrates a projection of capability that puts the UK front and centre in the defence of NATO airspace alongside our US partners.”
