L3Harris Technologies is preparing to demonstrate how the U.S. Air Force’s RC-135V/W Rivet Joint fleet could operate in concert with uncrewed aerial systems, marking a potential step-change in the way high-value airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms are employed in contested environments.
The concept, still in the demonstration and integration phase, would allow drones to extend the sensing reach of Rivet Joint aircraft, collect complementary data types, and help reduce exposure of the crewed aircraft to increasingly sophisticated integrated air defense systems. The effort is part of a broader push at L3Harris to evolve its portfolio of special mission aircraft into networked, multi-node systems that blend crewed and uncrewed capabilities.
Jason Lambert, President of ISR at L3Harris Technologies, outlined the initiative in a recent interview with aviation analyst Jamie Hunter. Lambert emphasized that the technology foundation for crewed–uncrewed teaming already exists; what remains is operational demonstration and integration across secure datalinks and mission architectures.
The RC-135V/W Rivet Joint fleet—17 aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force and three by the Royal Air Force—has long been a cornerstone of Western signals intelligence collection. Despite airframes originating in the 1960s and 1970s, their mission systems are continuously modernized.
L3Harris is responsible for depot maintenance and upgrade work at its Greenville, Texas facility, where aircraft periodically rotate through deep maintenance cycles every four years or so. According to Lambert, each cycle includes structural inspection, corrosion repair, and full reinstallation of mission systems.
“The way these planes operate is every four years or so they come out of the field for depot-level maintenance,” Lambert explained. “We take out the electronics gear, do a full inspection on the airframe, and then rebuild the aircraft with the latest antennas, hardware capabilities, processing power, and software.”
This spiral upgrade model ensures that while the airframes are decades old, the mission systems are continuously refreshed. In effect, Rivet Joint aircraft are among the most technologically current platforms in the U.S. inventory from a mission systems perspective.
Lambert noted that software updates are continuously integrated into the fleet, allowing rapid evolution of capabilities. The system is designed for incremental upgrades rather than episodic modernization, enabling operational improvements to be fielded in weeks or even days.
The emphasis on rapid iteration reflects lessons emerging from contemporary conflict environments, including electronic warfare-heavy engagements in Ukraine and maritime operations in and around the Red Sea between 2023 and 2025. These theaters have underscored the importance of shortening the sensor-to-shooter and sensor-to-update loops.
Electronic warfare systems, in particular, are vulnerable to rapid adversary adaptation. Waveforms, emissions patterns, and tactics can change in days, rendering static systems obsolete. As a result, the ability to push software and hardware updates quickly has become a decisive operational advantage.
L3Harris’ depot model supports this shift. The company claims it can execute rapid turn upgrades and return aircraft to theater in timeframes ranging from one week to one month, depending on the complexity of the modification.
The most significant evolution under consideration is the integration of uncrewed systems with the RC-135 mission set. Rather than operating as standalone ISR collectors, Rivet Joints would act as airborne command-and-control nodes for distributed drone assets.
Lambert confirmed that discussions are underway with multiple drone manufacturers to explore demonstration opportunities. The objective is to connect drones and crewed aircraft through secure, resilient datalinks provided in part by L3Harris’ Broadband Communications Systems business.
“We’re currently in discussions to actually do demonstrations on that with the RC-135,” Lambert said. “The technology is actually there. It exists today. We just need to go demonstrate it.”
The envisioned architecture is not merely additive. Instead, drones would function as forward sensing nodes, extending the effective reach of the Rivet Joint beyond its onboard sensor horizon and radio line-of-sight constraints.
In practical terms, uncrewed teammates could dramatically expand the geographic and spectral coverage of Rivet Joint missions. Small or stealthy drones operating closer to adversary emitters could collect signals that would otherwise be inaccessible to the larger aircraft.
This distributed architecture also enables improved geolocation accuracy. By positioning multiple collection nodes across a battlespace, operators can triangulate emissions more effectively, improving fidelity in identifying radar sites, command nodes, and air defense systems.
The Rivet Joint already specializes in building “electronic order of battle” databases that map adversary emitters and communications networks. Drone augmentation would deepen this capability by adding dynamic, repositionable collection points that can be adjusted in real time.
The aircraft’s onboard crew—comprising signals intelligence operators, electronic warfare specialists, and linguists—would fuse incoming drone-collected data with onboard sensor inputs. The resulting intelligence could then be disseminated to higher headquarters or forward forces depending on operational requirements.
One of the primary motivations for crewed–uncrewed teaming is survivability in increasingly contested airspaces. Modern anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems, particularly long-range surface-to-air missile networks, are pushing high-value ISR platforms further from the front lines.
This is especially relevant in potential Indo-Pacific conflict scenarios involving peer adversaries. As adversary air defense systems gain range and sophistication, platforms like Rivet Joint risk being forced into standoff positions that degrade collection quality.
By delegating forward sensing tasks to drones, the crewed aircraft can remain at safer distances while still maintaining operational effectiveness. Stealthy or attritable drones could penetrate closer to contested zones, acting as expendable or low-signature sensor nodes.
The U.S. Army is pursuing similar logic for its ME-11B High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) ISR aircraft, which is also expected to integrate air-launched drones to extend survivability and sensing depth.
While ISR is the primary focus, Lambert suggested that crewed–uncrewed teaming could expand into additional mission sets. Drones controlled from Rivet Joint aircraft could be configured for electronic warfare, communications relay, or even localized force protection.
A distributed drone network could also enable persistent electronic attack effects, saturating adversary systems or acting as decoys to stimulate radar emissions for collection or targeting.
This modularity transforms the RC-135V/W from a purely intelligence platform into a flexible airborne coordination node capable of orchestrating multiple effects across the electromagnetic spectrum.
The implications extend beyond ISR into broader joint force operations, where airborne platforms increasingly serve as nodes within larger kill webs rather than isolated sensors.
Despite its adaptability, the Rivet Joint fleet remains a constrained resource. With only 20 aircraft across U.S. and UK inventories, availability is limited, and operational tempo is high.
Maintenance cycles, aging airframes, and global mission demand frequently result in reduced aircraft availability. This scarcity makes any enhancement to operational efficiency—such as drone augmentation—particularly valuable.
By increasing the amount of data each aircraft can collect per sortie, crewed–uncrewed teaming effectively multiplies the utility of each platform without increasing fleet size.
L3Harris is also applying similar concepts to other platforms, notably its Bombardier Global 6500-based airborne early warning and control system known as AERIS-X.
Lambert described AERIS-X as a potential “hub-and-spoke” airborne command-and-control node designed to manage distributed uncrewed systems. The aircraft is being configured with scalable crew stations, currently ranging from six to potentially ten operators, depending on mission requirements and AI augmentation.
Artificial intelligence is expected to play a significant role in reducing operator workload. Rather than replacing human decision-makers, AI systems are intended to filter, prioritize, and fuse incoming sensor data to allow operators to manage larger and more complex mission sets.
“This is not about replacing operators,” Lambert noted. “It’s about allowing them to process more information and manage more systems effectively.”
AERIS-X is also being designed as part of a broader networked command architecture that includes ground nodes and distributed command centers. This includes systems such as Tactical Operations Center-Light (TOC-L), which enables distributed coordination across multiple deployed sites.
The goal is to create a resilient, multi-domain command structure spanning airborne, ground, and potentially maritime nodes. Within this architecture, airborne platforms function as both sensors and control hubs.
The integration of satellite communications, line-of-sight datalinks, and secure tactical networks allows AERIS-X and similar platforms to maintain connectivity even in degraded or contested environments.
Electronic warfare is another major area of development. L3Harris is exploring ways to integrate EW capabilities across its ISR and airborne early warning platforms, including potential enhancements to Rivet Joint and related aircraft.
The company also supports dedicated electronic attack platforms such as the EA-37B Compass Call, which is designed to disrupt adversary command, control, and communications networks.
Italy is also developing its own variant of this capability in collaboration with L3Harris, reflecting growing international demand for airborne electronic attack systems.
A key emerging concept in this domain is cognitive electronic warfare—systems that can adapt in near real time based on observed signal environments. The long-term objective is autonomous adaptation of electronic warfare responses during missions, reducing the lag between threat emergence and countermeasure deployment.
L3Harris has also leveraged technologies developed for Rivet Joint in other platforms, including the MC-55A Peregrine operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
The MC-55A integrates ISR and electronic warfare capabilities, reflecting a convergence trend across modern airborne intelligence platforms. This cross-pollination underscores how legacy systems like Rivet Joint continue to influence next-generation designs.
Taken together, L3Harris’ initiatives suggest a broader transformation in airborne ISR architecture. Rather than relying on monolithic platforms operating independently, future systems are increasingly envisioned as distributed networks of crewed and uncrewed assets.
Within this construct, the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint becomes less of a standalone collector and more of a command-and-control node for airborne sensing ecosystems. Drones extend its reach, AI enhances its processing capacity, and networked systems distribute its outputs in real time.
Lambert’s remarks suggest that the enabling technologies are largely already available. The remaining challenge is operational integration—linking platforms, ensuring secure communications, and demonstrating reliable performance in realistic mission environments.
If successful, the concept could significantly reshape how high-end ISR and electronic warfare missions are conducted in future conflicts, particularly in environments characterized by dense air defenses, electromagnetic congestion, and rapid technological adaptation.
What emerges is not just an incremental upgrade to an existing aircraft, but a structural shift toward networked airborne intelligence—one in which crewed aircraft and drones function as integrated elements of a single, adaptive sensing and effects system.
