EC-135
         Brief: Modified KC-135 tanker aircraft extensively
 equipped with sophisticated communications equipment and
 capable of flying in continuous airborne alert in support of
 national command and control; also telemetry and voice relay
 aircraft.
         Function: Command and control aircraft; ARIA aircraft.
         Operator: ACC and AFMC.
         First Flight: not available
         Delivered: not available
         IOC: Feb 3 1961
         Production: not available
         Inventory: seven
         Ceiling: 40,600 ft
         Unit Location: Offuft AFB, Neb., Edwards AFB, Calif.
         Contractor: Boeing
         Power Plant (EC-135C) four Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-9 furbofans
 each 18,000 lb thrust.
         Accommodation: flight crew of four, plus 19 specialists
         Dimensions: span 130 ft 10 in, length 136 ft 3 in,
 height 38 ft 4 in
         Weight: (EC-135C) gross 299,000 lb.
         Performance: (EC-135C) max speed at 25,000 ft 616 mph,
 operational radius 2,675 miles.
         COMMENTARY
         Several KC-135A tankers were modified for use as airborne
 command posts during the 1960s.
         EC-135A/G/L were operated by SAC; EC-135H by USAFE;
 EC-135J/P by PACAF; and EC-135K by TAC. EC-135Ns had specialized
 nose radar and tracking equipment to support the Apollo program.
 Other EC-135 aircraft included J and Y versions. Virtually all
 retired.
         EC-135C aircraft, known as Looking Glass, support
 USSTRATCOM's Airborne National Command Post mission, as well as
 other command-and-control missions. Delivered as KC-135Bs, they
 were redesignated in 1964 to reflect their role. Equipment
 includes HF/VF/UHF radios, AFSATCOM, Milatar, and HF/UHF low-
 speed data communications capability. Continuous airborne alert
 status ended July 24,1990, but at least one of these air refuel-
 able aircraft has since flown a mission each day. All will re-
 tire by October 1998 as the USN's E-6B aircraft take over the
 NCP mission.
         EC-135A/E Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA)
 function as telemetry data recording and relay stations to sup-
 plement land and marine telemetry stations that support DoD and
 NASA space and missile programs.
  AIR FORCE Magazine / May 1998
 ===
--- DB 1.39/004487
---------------