Boeing EC-135
Encyclopedia
The Boeing
EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter
. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War
EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war. EC-135N served as tracking aircraft for the Apollo space program.
B cargo aircraft
and EC-18B (former American Airlines
707-320
) passenger aircraft that provided tracking and telemetry information to support the US space program in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
During the early 1960s, NASA
and the Department of Defense (DoD) needed a very mobile tracking and telemetry platform to support the Apollo space program and other unmanned space flight operations. In a joint project, NASA and the DoD contracted with the McDonnell Douglas
and the Bendix
Corporations to modify eight Boeing
C-135 Stratolifter cargo aircraft into Apollo / Range Instrumentation Aircraft (A/RIA). Equipped with a steerable seven-foot antenna dish
in its distinctive "Droop Snoot" or "Snoopy Nose", the EC-135N A/RIA became operational in January 1968, and was often known as the Jimmy Durante
of the Air Force. The Air Force Eastern Test Range at Patrick AFB, Florida, maintained and operated the A/RIA until the end of the Apollo program in 1972, when the USAF renamed it the Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA).
Transferred to the 4950th Test Wing
at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, in December 1975 as part of an overall consolidation of large test and evaluation aircraft, the ARIA fleet underwent numerous conversions - including a re-engining that changed the EC-135N to the EC-135E. In 1994, the ARIA fleet relocated to Edwards AFB, California, as part of the 412th Test Wing. However, taskings for the ARIA dwindled because of high costs and improved satellite technology, and the USAF transferred the aircraft to other programs such as J-STARS.
Over its thirty-two year career, the ARIA supported the United States space program, gathered telemetry, verified international treaties, and supported cruise missile
, ballistic missile
defense tests, and the Space Shuttle
.
(CINCSAC), which were either based at its headquarters at Offutt AFB
, Nebraska
(1993–1998) Operated by the 34th Air Refueling Squadron
(1961-1963 with EC-135A's}, {1963-1966 with EC-135C's); (38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (1966–1970); 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron
(1970–1994); 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
(1994–1998), Barksdale AFB
, Louisiana
operated by the 913th Air Refueling Squadron
(1963–1970), Ellsworth AFB
, South Dakota
operated by the 4th Airborne Command & Control Squadron (Looking Glass, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana missile silo coverage, Western Radio Relay 1970-1991), Grissom AFB, Indiana
operated by the 3d Airborne Command & Control Squadron (Looking Glass 1970-1974/Eastern Radio Relay 1970-199-), or at Westover AFB, Massachusetts
operated by the 99th Air Refueling Squadron
(1963–1970). Other EC-135 Aircraft (EC-135A / EC-135G / EC-135L & Bases supporting the Looking Glass missions (Communications Relay and Minuteman Airborne Missile Launch Centers) were Minot AFB
, North Dakota
operated by the 906th Air Refueling Squadron
(1963–1970) (Note: Ellsworth AFB maintained EC-135 aircraft on Satellite Alert at Minot AFB to cover the North Dakota missile silos), Grissom AFB, Indiana
operated by the 70th Air Refueling Squadron
(1975–1993), Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
operated by the 301st Air Refueling Squadron
(1963–1970 Eastern Radio Relay). All aircraft have been retired or repurposed.
The U.S.
nuclear strategy depends on its ability to command, control, and communicate with its nuclear forces
under all conditions. An essential element of that ability is Looking Glass; its crew and staff ensure there is always an aircraft
ready to direct bombers and missiles from the air should ground-based command centers be destroyed or rendered inoperable. Looking Glass is intended to guarantee that U.S. strategic forces will act only in the manner dictated by the President
. It took the nickname "Looking Glass" because the mission mirrored ground-based command, control, and communications. Besides being the program name, "Looking Glass" is the official name for the "C" model aircraft of the EC-135. It has a crew of at least 15, including at least one or more general officers.
The Strategic Air Command
(SAC) began the Looking Glass mission on February 3, 1961 and Looking Glass aircraft were continuously airborne 24 hours a day for over 29 years, accumulating more than 281,000 accident-free flying hours. On July 24, 1990, "The Glass" ceased continuous airborne alert, but remained on ground or airborne alert 24 hours a day. The EC-135A flew the Command Post mission until EC-135C were delivered
starting in 1963. The aircraft were delivered to Offutt AFB and as well as one aircraft to each of the Stateside Numbered Air Force Headquarters - Second Air Force at Barksdale AFB, LA; Eighth Air Force at Westover AFB, MA; and Fifteenth Air Force at March AFB CA. EC-135's flew all the missions except one, when an E-4B was tested on a operational mission, flying a double sortie as the replacement aircraft could not launch due to weather. About a week after the flight, Washington deleted the funds for additional E-4 aircraft.
On June 1, 1992, SAC
was deactivated and replaced by USSTRATCOM
, which now controls the Looking Glass.
On October 1, 1998, the Navy's
E-6 Mercury TACAMO
replaced the USAF's
EC-135C in the Looking Glass mission.
in the United Kingdom. All four aircraft were subsequently retired.
Nightwatch was initiated in the mid-1960s utilizing the three EC-135J aircraft, modified from KC-135Bs, as command post aircraft. The three Nightwatch aircraft were ready to fly the President and the National Command Authority
(NCA) out of Washington in the event of a nuclear attack. The E-4
aircraft (a modified Boeing 747-200) came on line with the Nightwatch program in 1974 replacing the EC-135s on this mission.
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
EC-135 was a command & control version of the C-135 Stratolifter
C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
. Modified for the "Looking Glass" program, during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
EC-135 were airborne 24 hours a day to serve as flying command platforms for the military in the event of nuclear war. EC-135N served as tracking aircraft for the Apollo space program.
Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft
The Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft are EC-135Bs modified C-135C-135 Stratolifter
|-See also:-External links:* at Globalsecurity.org...
B cargo aircraft
Cargo aircraft
A cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...
and EC-18B (former American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
707-320
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
) passenger aircraft that provided tracking and telemetry information to support the US space program in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
During the early 1960s, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and the Department of Defense (DoD) needed a very mobile tracking and telemetry platform to support the Apollo space program and other unmanned space flight operations. In a joint project, NASA and the DoD contracted with the McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
and the Bendix
Bendix Corporation
The Bendix Corporation was an American manufacturing and engineering company which during various times in its 60 year existence made brake systems, aeronautical hydraulics, avionics, aircraft and automobile fuel control systems, radios, televisions and computers, and which licensed its name for...
Corporations to modify eight Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
C-135 Stratolifter cargo aircraft into Apollo / Range Instrumentation Aircraft (A/RIA). Equipped with a steerable seven-foot antenna dish
Parabolic antenna
A parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or parabolic dish...
in its distinctive "Droop Snoot" or "Snoopy Nose", the EC-135N A/RIA became operational in January 1968, and was often known as the Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
of the Air Force. The Air Force Eastern Test Range at Patrick AFB, Florida, maintained and operated the A/RIA until the end of the Apollo program in 1972, when the USAF renamed it the Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA).
Transferred to the 4950th Test Wing
4950th Test Wing
The 4950th Test Wing, a wing of the United States Air Force, was established in March 1971.It was created as the flying unit of the Wright Air Development Center, which was created in June 1951. Wright ADC changed to Division status in December 1959 until it was replaced by the Aeronautical Systems...
at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, in December 1975 as part of an overall consolidation of large test and evaluation aircraft, the ARIA fleet underwent numerous conversions - including a re-engining that changed the EC-135N to the EC-135E. In 1994, the ARIA fleet relocated to Edwards AFB, California, as part of the 412th Test Wing. However, taskings for the ARIA dwindled because of high costs and improved satellite technology, and the USAF transferred the aircraft to other programs such as J-STARS.
Over its thirty-two year career, the ARIA supported the United States space program, gathered telemetry, verified international treaties, and supported cruise missile
Cruise missile
A cruise missile is a guided missile that carries an explosive payload and is propelled, usually by a jet engine, towards a land-based or sea-based target. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhead over long distances with high accuracy...
, ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
defense tests, and the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
.
Looking Glass
Officially Known as "Operation Looking Glass" provided at least 11 EC-135C command post aircraft to the Commander in Chief, Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(CINCSAC), which were either based at its headquarters at Offutt AFB
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
(1993–1998) Operated by the 34th Air Refueling Squadron
34th Air Refueling Squadron
The 34th Strategic Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 11th Strategic Group, stationed at Zaragoza Air Base, Spain...
(1961-1963 with EC-135A's}, {1963-1966 with EC-135C's); (38th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (1966–1970); 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron
2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron
The United States Air Force's 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron was an airborne command and control unit located at Offutt AFB, Nebraska...
(1970–1994); 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron
The 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron is part of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It operates the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft, conducting airborne command and control missions.-History:...
(1994–1998), Barksdale AFB
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
operated by the 913th Air Refueling Squadron
913th Air Refueling Squadron
The 913th Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing, stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 1 November 1981....
(1963–1970), Ellsworth AFB
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Ellsworth Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Rapid City, South Dakota just north of Box Elder, South Dakota....
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
operated by the 4th Airborne Command & Control Squadron (Looking Glass, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana missile silo coverage, Western Radio Relay 1970-1991), Grissom AFB, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
operated by the 3d Airborne Command & Control Squadron (Looking Glass 1970-1974/Eastern Radio Relay 1970-199-), or at Westover AFB, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
operated by the 99th Air Refueling Squadron
99th Air Refueling Squadron
The 99th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 6th Air Mobility Wing at Birmingham Air National Guard Base, Alabama. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
(1963–1970). Other EC-135 Aircraft (EC-135A / EC-135G / EC-135L & Bases supporting the Looking Glass missions (Communications Relay and Minuteman Airborne Missile Launch Centers) were Minot AFB
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
operated by the 906th Air Refueling Squadron
906th Air Refueling Squadron
The 906th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.-Mission:The 906 ARS operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions.-History:...
(1963–1970) (Note: Ellsworth AFB maintained EC-135 aircraft on Satellite Alert at Minot AFB to cover the North Dakota missile silos), Grissom AFB, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
operated by the 70th Air Refueling Squadron
70th Air Refueling Squadron
The 70th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting aerial refueling missions as the reserve associate to the 60th Air Mobility Wing....
(1975–1993), Lockbourne AFB, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
operated by the 301st Air Refueling Squadron
301st Air Refueling Squadron
The 301st Air Refueling Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 301st Air Refueling Wing, stationed at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. It was inactivated on 31 December 1975....
(1963–1970 Eastern Radio Relay). All aircraft have been retired or repurposed.
The U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nuclear strategy depends on its ability to command, control, and communicate with its nuclear forces
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
under all conditions. An essential element of that ability is Looking Glass; its crew and staff ensure there is always an aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
ready to direct bombers and missiles from the air should ground-based command centers be destroyed or rendered inoperable. Looking Glass is intended to guarantee that U.S. strategic forces will act only in the manner dictated by the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. It took the nickname "Looking Glass" because the mission mirrored ground-based command, control, and communications. Besides being the program name, "Looking Glass" is the official name for the "C" model aircraft of the EC-135. It has a crew of at least 15, including at least one or more general officers.
The Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
(SAC) began the Looking Glass mission on February 3, 1961 and Looking Glass aircraft were continuously airborne 24 hours a day for over 29 years, accumulating more than 281,000 accident-free flying hours. On July 24, 1990, "The Glass" ceased continuous airborne alert, but remained on ground or airborne alert 24 hours a day. The EC-135A flew the Command Post mission until EC-135C were delivered
starting in 1963. The aircraft were delivered to Offutt AFB and as well as one aircraft to each of the Stateside Numbered Air Force Headquarters - Second Air Force at Barksdale AFB, LA; Eighth Air Force at Westover AFB, MA; and Fifteenth Air Force at March AFB CA. EC-135's flew all the missions except one, when an E-4B was tested on a operational mission, flying a double sortie as the replacement aircraft could not launch due to weather. About a week after the flight, Washington deleted the funds for additional E-4 aircraft.
On June 1, 1992, SAC
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
was deactivated and replaced by USSTRATCOM
United States Strategic Command
United States Strategic Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense . The Command, including components, employs more than 2,700 people, representing all four services, including DoD civilians and contractors, who oversee the command's operationally...
, which now controls the Looking Glass.
On October 1, 1998, the Navy's
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
E-6 Mercury TACAMO
TACAMO
TACAMO is a U.S. military term meaning "Take Charge and Move Out". TACAMO refers to a system of survivable communications links designed to be used in nuclear war to maintain communications between the decision makers and the triad of strategic nuclear weapon delivery systems...
replaced the USAF's
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
EC-135C in the Looking Glass mission.
Silk Purse
Operation Silk Purse program provided four EC-135H command post aircraft to the Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), which were based at RAF MildenhallRAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
in the United Kingdom. All four aircraft were subsequently retired.
Scope Light
Operation Scope Light provided five EC-135J/P command post aircraft to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command (CINCLANT), which were based at Langley AFB, VA. All five aircraft were subsequently retired.Blue Eagle
Operation Blue Eagle provided five EC-135J/P command post aircraft to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command (USCINCPAC), which were based at Hickam AFB, HI. All five aircraft were subsequently retired.Nightwatch
Operation Nightwatch provided three EC-135J command post aircraft to the President of the United States which were based at Andrews AFB, MD. All three aircraft were transferred to other ABNCP missions.Nightwatch was initiated in the mid-1960s utilizing the three EC-135J aircraft, modified from KC-135Bs, as command post aircraft. The three Nightwatch aircraft were ready to fly the President and the National Command Authority
National Command Authority
National Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. The NCA comprises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e...
(NCA) out of Washington in the event of a nuclear attack. The E-4
Boeing E-4
The Boeing E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post, with a project name of "Nightwatch", is an aircraft operated by the United States Air Force...
aircraft (a modified Boeing 747-200) came on line with the Nightwatch program in 1974 replacing the EC-135s on this mission.
Variant summary
- EC-135A - KC-135A modified for airborne national command post role
- EC-135B - C-135B modified with large nose for ARIA mission
- EC-135C - purpose built C-135 variant for airborne command post role, "Looking Glass"
- EC-135E - re-engined EC-135N
- EC-135G - KC-135A modified for airborne national command post role
- EC-135H - KC-135A modified for airborne national command post role, "Silk Purse"
- EC-135J - KC-135B modified for airborne national command post role, "Nightwatch"
- EC-135K - KC-135A modified for deployment control duties
- EC-135L - KC-135A modified for radio relay and amplitude modulation dropout capability "Cover All"
- EC-135N - ARIA aircraft with "Snoopy Nose"
- EC-135J/P - KC-135A modified for airborne command post role, "Blue Eagle" and "Scope Light"
- EC-135Y - NKC-135 reconfigured as C3 aircraft for Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command
Survivors
- EC-135E, (AF Serial Number 60-0374 - nicknamed "The Bird of Prey") is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
, at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. The aircraft is a former Apollo / Range Instrumentation Aircraft (A/RIA), and is displayed in the museum's outside Air Park. The aircraft was flown to the museum on November 3, 2000, by a flight crew from the Air Force Flight Test Center, and was delivered with full Prime Mission Electronic Equipment intact.