Air Force to start transforming tankers into WC-135 ‘nuke sniffers’ in FY19
By: Valerie Insinna   April 25
WASHINGTON — The Air Force is set to begin turning the first of three KC-135R tankers into WC-135 Constant Phoenix “nuclear sniffers†in fall 2019, a conversion the service’s top general said Tuesday is necessary given the legacy aircraft’s advanced age.
The Air Force’s two WC-135s planes are among the most rare and specialized aircraft in the service’s inventory, outfitted with highly classified equipment that allows its crew to monitor the atmosphere for signs of nuclear explosions. But the planes date from the mid 1960s and are reaching the end of their lifespans.
https://www.defensenews.com/smr/nuclear-triad/2018/04/25/air-force-to-start-transforming-tankers-into-wc-135-nuke-sniffers-this-year/
