# Project 675180 — RC-135 (Airborne SIGINT Development - RC-135 Rivet Joint)

**Program element:** 0304260F — Airborne SIGINT Enterprise  
**Project:** 675180  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F/675180  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F

## Summary

Project 675180 — RC-135 (Airborne SIGINT Development - RC-135 Rivet Joint) requests $28.6M in FY2027, 29% of the $98.3M requested for program element 0304260F, down 32% on FY2026. 1 R-2A activity decomposes the request. L3Harris is the largest named R-3 performer at $28.6M, 100% of the project's FY2027 R-3 total.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 41.9 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 41.9 |
| FY2027 | Request | 28.6 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 30.6 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 31.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 32.5 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 33.4 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0304260F; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project 675180 buys

This project supports design, engineering analysis, non-recurring engineering, development, test, and integration of RC-135 SIGINT sensor capabilities and their associated air and ground components. By extensively utilizing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) based solutions to field needed capabilities, this project must continuously identify suitable replacements for components affected by Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and integrate with the COTS technology cycle. These efforts provide required engineering for preliminary assessments of technical feasibility, operability, or military utility as well as specific engineering implementations integrated into the various baseline modifications. Funding also supports innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion and future acquisition programs. These funds will be disbursed among the RC-135V/W RIVET JOINT, the RC-135U COMBAT SENT, and the RC-135S COBRA BALL programs. Funding reflects the SIGINT Capabilities Working Group (SCWG) priorities and the accomplishment of other Airborne SIGINT Enterprise initiatives.

**R-3 lines of work:** Product Development.

## Named R-3 performers

| Performer | $M | Share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total |
|---|---|---|
| L3Harris | 28.6 | 100% |

> Budget-justification contract funding, not obligations. Shares need not reach 100% — unnamed and government work is in the denominator.

## Activities (R-2A) — 1

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC-135 SIGINT Development | 41.9 | 41.9 | 28.6 | −32% | [a0](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F/675180/a0) |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### RC-135 SIGINT Development

- Will Deliver 9/3 capabilities for Baseline 15/16, continue 4 efforts for Baseline 16 and begin 4 new efforts for baseline 16. -Will continue SIGINT development efforts for the RC-135 fleet to include new signal sets and upgrades to current capabilities. See PE 0305207F for classified details. Classified requirements POC is HAF AF/A2OO…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F/675180/a0

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0304260F project 675180 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0304260F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*