An Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent, a specialized aircraft for dissecting enemy radar signals, has been observed crossing the Atlantic on an undisclosed assignment. The jet departed Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in New Hampshire at 1:51 AM ET on Wednesday, according to Flightradar24 records, operating under the callsign COBRA49. It completed a six-hour and 42-minute flight, landing at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England.
This particular aircraft is one of only two Combat Sent jets in the Air Force fleet. Its primary function is to collect detailed intelligence on foreign military radar systems, which can aid the U.S. in understanding the operation of adversarial equipment and developing countermeasures. The RC-135U uses advanced systems to locate, identify, and analyze multiple electronic signals simultaneously, functioning as a mobile intelligence-gathering platform. Information collected is fed into national intelligence databases for further study.
The aircraft's journey to Britain has prompted speculation among online observers regarding a potential role in the Middle East, particularly given heightened regional tensions. However, its flight record does not specify an onward destination or operational tasking. The U.S. Air Force states that the RC-135U operates during both peacetime and contingencies, meaning its presence in the UK does not necessarily indicate an imminent combat operation. The intelligence gathered by these aircraft can support advanced weapons development and the updating of radar-warning equipment used by aircrews to recognize threats.
Previous operations have seen the Combat Sent refuel from a Mildenhall-based tanker over Norway, and the aircraft is capable of flying at speeds exceeding 500 mph with the ability for in-flight refueling to extend its endurance.