Cobra Ball: What is it and how can you track it?

RC-135S COBRA BALL

The RC-135S Cobra Ball is a rapidly deployable aircraft, which flies Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed missions of national priority to collect optical and electronic data on ballistic targets. This data is critical to arms treaty compliance verification, and development of U.S. strategic defense and theater missile defense concepts.

In other words, it is a spy plane.

So… with all the tension building with North Korea, @CivMilAir tracks aircraft and tweets out various activity, including alerts when the Cobra Ball is airborne. Today (9.25.17), an alert was issued that the Cobra Ball was airborne over Japan, indicating the U.S. is gathering data on any possible launch activity going on in North Korea right now.

Cobra Ball airborne – Ballistic Missile detection platform airborne. Last position logged in Japan

🇺🇸 US Air Force
RC135S 61-2663 CHENA55 pic.twitter.com/K4DEV0ltxB

— CivMilAir ✈ 🚁 (@CivMilAir) September 25, 2017

Features

The RC-135S, equipped with a sophisticated array of optical and electronic sensors, recording media, and communications equipment, is a national asset uniquely suited to provide America’s leaders and defense community with vital information that cannot be obtained by any other source.

Crew composition includes a minimum of two pilots, one navigator, three electronic warfare officers, two airborne systems engineers, and two or more airborne mission specialists.

There are three RC-135S aircraft in the Air Force inventory all assigned to Air Combat Command and permanently based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.  The Cobra Ball is operated by the 55th Wing, and manned with aircrews from the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, and the 97th Intelligence Squadron, using various forward deployment locations worldwide.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Reconnaissance

Unrefueled Range: 3,900 miles (6,500 kilometers)

Length: 135 feet (41.1 meters)

Height: 42 feet (12.8 meters)

Wingspan: 131 feet (39.9 meters)

Speed: 500+ miles per hour (Mach.66)

Flight Crew: (minimum) Two pilots, one navigator

Mission flight crew: (minimum) – minimum consisting of three electronic warfare officers, two airborne systems engineers, and two airborne mission specialists

Courtesy United States Air Force