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A United States military aircraft designed for gathering radar signals was detected flying deep into the South China Sea on Tuesday. This information comes from publicly available flight data.
**Why It Matters**
The Pentagon typically does not disclose specifics about its military operations, but a U.S. Air Force fact sheet explains that the RC-135U (also known as the Combat Sent) collects “strategic electronic reconnaissance information” for decision-makers in the U.S. military chain of command. The aircraft locates and identifies foreign military radar signals, examining each system to provide strategic analysis for warfighters. This includes developing effective anti-radar countermeasures such as jamming.
**What To Know**
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On August 6, an RC-135U flight probe was recorded by Flightradar24, a website that tracks aircraft movements. The flight originated from a major military hub in southwestern Japan and lasted for ten hours. The flight path included areas around the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands.
The flight was first noticed by MeNMyRC1, a former RC-135 crew member who works as an open-source intelligence analyst. They noted it was unusual for U.S. spy flights to be seen so far south in the South China Sea, given that the area often lacks enough ground receivers to track aircraft.
The Combat Sent, deployed from late June from the continental United States to Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa, conducted its latest sortie just after 6 a.m. universal coordinated time (UTC). The flight did not land until after 4 p.m. UTC the same day.
**Additional Insights**
Since July 1, the Combat Sent has been deployed at least eleven times to probe contested areas in the South China Sea, including near Hainan, which houses one of China’s navy aircraft carriers. Each mission includes a minimum of ten electronic warfare officers and six or more mission area specialists. The plane has a fuel range over 4,500 miles and an operational ceiling higher than 35,000 feet.
Beijing-based think tank the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative reported tracking 48 U.S. spy plane sorties in July alone, four of which were RC-135s.
China claims sovereignty over the Spratly archipelago and controls the Paracel group, both of which are being expanded to create large military bases with radars, barracks, and airfields.
**Statements**
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on February 9: “US aircraft and warships frequently conduct close-in reconnaissance around China, which seriously threatens China’s national security and undermines regional peace and stability.”
**Future Outlook**
Both the U.S. and Chinese militaries are expected to continue deploying surveillance planes in the western Pacific.
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
What is the primary function of the RC-135U aircraft according to the passage?
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