Aircraft Factfile and Recognition Guide – EC-135 Family

EC-135C Airborne Command Post

A mark of America's strategic excellence is its preeminent ability to command, control, and communicate with its nuclear forces. An essential element of that ability is the Airborne Command Post, also called "Looking Glass.", which was retired from service on 01 October 1998. Its highly-trained crew and staff ensured there was always an aircraft ready to direct bombers and missiles from the air should ground-based command centers become inoperable. Looking Glass guaranteed that U.S. strategic forces would act only in the precise manner dictated by the President.

The now-deactivated Strategic Air Command (SAC) began the mission on February 3, 1961. It took the nickname Looking Glass because the mission mirrored ground-based command, control, and communications. From that date, a Looking Glass aircraft was in the air at all times 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for more than 29 years. On July 24, 1990, Looking Glass ceased continuous airborne alert, but it remained on ground or airborne alert 24 hours a day. Crews accumulated more than 281,000 accident-free flying hours.

The Looking Glass aircraft is an EC-135, a Boeing 707 airframe loaded with high-tech communication equipment. Its battle staff, when airborne, was under the command of a flag officer -- an Air Force general officer or a Navy admiral. General and flag officers were from the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC), Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), Navy's Commander, Submarine Group NINE, Pacific (COMSUBGRU NINE) and Commander, Submarine Group TEN, Atlantic (COMSUBGRU TEN).

Members of the battle staff formed seven operational teams and represented all branches of the armed services. The team chief was responsible for team training, cohesiveness and direction, and is also the head of the operational staff. The communications officer was responsible for all communications systems on the aircraft and saw to it that messages from the battle staff are handled in a timely manner.

The airborne launch control officer was the missile launch team leader and, along with the communications officer, operated the airborne launch control system. This system allowed Looking Glass to transmit launch codes to the intercontinental ballistic missiles in their underground silos should ground launch control centers become disabled. It qualified the aircraft as a weapon system even though Looking Glass itself cannot fire a bullet or drop a bomb.

The emergency actions non-commissioned officer was charged with knowing the formats, contents and appropriate wording for emergency action messages used to execute U S. war plans. The emergency actions non-commissioned officer and the team chief formed the emergency actions team. The force status non-commissioned officers were experts in force accounting procedures and account for and track every strategic weapon in the U.S. inventory.

The single integrated operations plan advisor, the second in command, headed the planning staff and advised the Looking Glass commander of the war plans available to the President of the United States. The intelligence officer briefed the entire battle staff on current intelligence matters, developed threat assessments, and identified emerging threats to the United States. The logistics officer made sure that returning bomber and tanker forces had safe recovery bases to provide medical attention, food, and rest for the crew and expeditious repairs, refueling, and reloading for the aircraft.

The above battle staff personnel were part of the Combat Operations Staff under the deputy director of Operations and Logistics, USSTRATCOM. The crew and aircraft were from the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, ACC, Offutt AFB, Nebraska.

The crew consisted of two pilots, a navigator, an airborne refueling systems operator, and communications systems operators.

After 46 years, SAC was deactivated on June 1, 1992, and USSTRATCOM was activated. Looking Glass became part of the new command. Activation of USSTRATCOM coincided with a change from a bi-polar world to a multi-polar world in the wake of a dissolving Soviet Union. It also marked a transition for Looking Glass from an Air Force operation to a joint military mission. The basic mission remained unchanged. Looking Glass provided an around-the-clock, survivable, alternate command post for the National Command Authority and the Commander in Chief of USSTRATCOM, guaranteeing the use of strategic forces during national emergencies.

EC-135E ARIA/EC-18 ARIA

The Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) was selected to operate and maintain the system in support of the test and evaluation (T&E) community. McDonnell-Douglas Corporation and Bendix Corporation were the contractors for the design, aircraft modification, and testing of the electronic equipment. In December 1975, after 7 years of operation by the Eastern Test Range, the ARIA (redesignated Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft following completion of the Apollo program) were transferred to the 4950th Test Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, as part of an Air Force consolidation of large T&E aircraft. The 4950th Test Wing provided test support, personnel, and resources for the operational use of, and modifications and improvement to, the ARIA fleet. After arriving at Wright-Patterson AFB, the ARIA fleet underwent numerous conversions, including re-engining of EC-135N ARIA to EC-135E and the acquisition and conversion of used Boeing 707 commercial airliners to ARIA.

In 1982, the Air Force bought eight used Boeing 707-320C's from American Airlines, modifying the jets to the ARIA configuration and dubbing them EC-18B's. The EC-18B, which is larger than the EC-135N, carries a bigger payload and operates on shorter runways, flew its first mission in January 1986 out of Kenya. In 1994, the ARIA fleet was relocated to Edwards AFB, California, as part of the 452d Flight Test Squadron, in the 412th Test Wing. The current ARIA fleet consists of three EC-135E and three EC-18B aircraft. On 10 February 1998 the annual Force Structure Announcement formalized adjustments to the aircraft fleet at Edwards, which included the loss of one EC-18 and one EC-135 aircraft. These changes were the result a continuation of the normal fleet adjustments which occur at Edwards as test programs change and the general test aircraft fleet is upgraded and modernized. Aircraft 375 was one of the first Apollo Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA) put into service. Aircraft 894 is one of two active ARIA with in flight refueling capabilities. This aircraft is a modified commercial Boeing 707, and is one of four ARIA that have been upgraded with 4 MHz Racal Storehorse recorders and Microdyne S-Band, C-Band, P-Band Superheterodyne receivers.

The ARIA deploy throughout the world to obtain telemetry data from orbital and reentry vehicles as well as air-to-air and cruise missile tests. This includes support of tests conducted at Cape Canaveral AFS, Vandenberg AFB, Hill AFB, Eglin AFB, and from ships and submarines. Normally, the telemetry data is obtained in locations such as broad ocean areas and remote land areas which are outside the coverage of ground stations. Selected portions of the data may be retransmitted in real time, via UHF satellite, to enable the launching agency to monitor system performance. All data is recorded on magnetic tape for post-mission analysis.

The Cruise Missile Mission Control Aircraft (CMMCA) mission is different from both orbital and reentry mission types, primarily due to the mission duration which may involve continuous automatic tracking for more than five hours. Other differences include: the vehicle flies below the ARIA; real-time data is relayed via L-band transmitters directly to ground stations; and voice is relayed via ARIA UHF radios between mission aircraft (launch, chase, photo, etc.) and mission control. ARIA also flies as the primary remote command & control / flight termination system for these missions.

On a typical mission, flown locally from Edwards AFB, a B-52 launch aircraft with the cruise missile departs its home base several hours prior to the ARIA takeoff. The ARIA joins the B-52 and acquires telemetry from the missile at about launch minus 90 minutes. The B-52 and the trailing ARIA then proceed to the launch area. At this point, mission control uses the ARIA telemetry data to evaluate the missile's status. Prior to launch, F-16 chase and photo aircraft join the B-52 launch aircraft. After final checks are completed, the cruise missile is launched and the B-52 departs the area. The ARIA continues to track the missile after launch, receives and relays telemetry data from the missile, and relays UHF voice from the chase planes to mission control. The ARIA tracks the cruise missile until termination of the mission. During most tests, ARIA supplies the primary remote command & control / flight termination system (RCC/FTS) signal to the missile.

The Cruise Missile Mission Control Aircraft (CMMCA) Phase 0 modification provides real-time telemetry displays and redundant RCC/FTS systems. . The Advanced CMMCA, provides the same capabilities as the CMMCA Phase 0 plus a tracking/surveillance radar for stand-alone operations as well as real-time data processing and display.

Each ARIA has both external and internal modifications. Externally the most obvious difference in appearance from a standard C-135 or C-18 aircraft is the large, bulbous, "droop snoot" nose, a ten-foot radome which houses a seven-foot steerable dish antenna. The ARIA also has a probe antenna on each wing tip and a trailing wire antenna on the bottom of the fuselage (EC-l35E only) used for high frequency (HF) radio transmission and reception. Further external modifications include antennas for data retransmission via UHF satellite. The internal modifications to the cargo compartment include all of the instrumentation subsystems (Prime Mission Electronic Equipment - PMEE) installed in the form of a 30,000 pound modular package. Also provided are facilities for the crew members who operate the PMEE. The Prime Mission Electronic Equipment (PMEE) is organized into eight functional subsystems to provide the ARIA mission support capability.

Recognizing the EC-135 Series

The EC-135 family resembles the KC-135 family with several exceptions, which will be listed below the main description.  Here's tips on how to identify one:

Wings: Low-mounted, swept-back, and tapered with a positive slant.
Engines: Four turbofans mounted on pylons under the wings. Engines extend well forward of the wings' leading edges.
Fuselage: Round, cigar-shaped, tapers to the rear. Rounded nose, stepped-up cockpit.
Tail: Swept-back, tapered fin with a square tip. Horizontal stabilizers are swept-back, tapered, and mid-mounted on the fuselage.
Boom: Aft of the fuselage is a little set of "ruddervators" that belong to the refueling boom. Found on all KC-135s and most EC-135s.

EC-135C Airborne Command Post: Standard KC-135 with white/grey paint and several "bumps and bruises" across the top and bottom of the fuselage.  Antennas extend from each wingtip.

EC-135E/EC-18 ARIA: Standard EC-135C with enlarged nose and no refueling boom.

EC-135E ALOTS: Standard EC-135C with large pod on left hand side of the fuselage forward of the main wings and no refueling boom.

Specifications - EC-135C

Primary Function: Airborne Command Post
Prime Contractor: The Boeing Company
Power Plant: Four Pratt and Whitney TF-33-PW-102 turbofan engines
Thrust: 18,000 pounds each engine
Wingspan: 130 feet, 10 inches (39.88 meters)
Length: 136 feet, 3 inches (41.53 meters)
Height: 41 feet, 8 inches (12.7 meters)
Speed: 530 miles per hour at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters)
Ceiling: 50,000 feet (15,240 meters)
Range: 6,000 miles
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 300,000 pounds (146,285 kilograms)
Crew: 28

Sources: Federation of American Sciences - EC-18, Federation of American Sciences - EC-135C,
USAF KC-135 Stratotanker factfile