Brit Ravens Buy American

"Specialist Electronic Warfare airplanes and their highly trained operators (”ravens,” pictured) are in high demand. They snoop for electronic signals, help spot fleeting targets and guide friendly forces on attack. But EW planes ain’t cheap, and today just the U.S. and Great Britain operate large fleets. Now budget cuts in the Royal Air Force have resulted in a surprising decision: the RAF essentially is going to merge its EW fleet with the U.S. Air Force’s.
It’s happening two ways: First, the RAF and USAF have worked out a system for inter-changing British Astor ground-surveillance planes and American E-8 J-STARS planes that perform the same mission. That way Astors and E-8s can operate together to provide 24-hour orbits over a battlefield.

At the same time, London has decided to retire the unique Nimrod R1 electronic snoopers, which were badly in need of upgrades, in favor of buying three U.S.-made RC-135 Rivet Joints. The USAF operates 17 of the prized Rivet Joints. U.S. firm L3 will convert three KC-135R tankers to Rivet Joint standard for the RAF in a deal worth around $1 billion. In light of the sensitivity of the RC-135’s systems, the arrangement with the RAF undoubtedly comes with all sorts of restrictions on how, and where, the aircraft can be used.

The result of both initiatives is far better integration of the USAF’s and RAF’s ability to conduct complex, multinational air campaigns. The downside, according to Air Forces Monthly, is “the UK losing some of its most useful autonomous national intelligence collection capabilities.”

This in not the first time Great Britain has surrendered a portion of its military autonomy. Two years ago, the Royal Navy retired its Sea Harrier fighter force, insisting that in future wars, air cover would be provided by the U.S. Navy. But that means the Royal Navy only can go to war if the Pentagon concurs."
War is Boring