He WC-135R Constant Phoenix of the United States Air Force, the only plane in the world designed to detect nuclear materials in the air, took off this Monday from the Offutt Air Basein Nebraska. The device, known as ‘Nuclear Surveyer’has been deployed in the middle of the war escalation between Israel and Iran that aims, by the first, the destruction of the nuclear capacity of the second.
Although the Pentagon has not issued an official statement on the mission, its activity over the northern United States and other regions has drawn attention by Military analysts and Civil flight tracers.
Constant Phoenix It is the only existing aerial platform specifically dedicated to collecting atmospheric samples to detect nuclear tests and is operated by the 45. Recognition squad and backed by the Detachment 1 of the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC).
The United States has 3 WC-135R manufactured by Boeing that are an essential part of their global nuclear monitoring system. They can collect particles and gases during the flight which are subsequently analyzed to detect nuclear isotopeskey aspect to confirm Atomic essays either radiological incidents.
He WC-135R Use devices Continuous flow To capture radioactive particles on filter paper and a compression system that fills environmental containment spheres to analyze it in the laboratory.
It has a 12,000 meter operational roofa autonomy of more than 7,400 kilometers and can carry out prolonged missions on various geographical regions. Is based on the C-135 platform and use Four Turbofán Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines to propel a weight of 136 tons and one wingspan almost 40 meters. Its maximum speed is 650 km/h, although its true value lies in its resistance capacity and in the precision of your measurementsmore than speed.
The WC-135 have been fundamental in the Surveillance of nuclear activities worldwide. From the detection of Soviet tests during the Cold War to the analysis of the radiation after the disaster of Chernobyl In 1986, its history dates back to an order issued by the General Dwight D. Eisenhower In 1947. The first successful operation was recorded in 1949, when a WB-29 It detected waste from the first Soviet nuclear test.
Since then, these aircraft have operated in areas such as the Bengal Gulfhe Indian oceanhe Mediterranean and Polar regions. According to data from open sources flights, recent missions of the WC-135R They have taken place in To UDEID (Qatar) and the Diego García Islandin the Indian Ocean, which houses an American military base.
Although some experts link this last deployment with the situation in Iran, others interpret it as part of Routine training flights on facilities of the US strategic command. and areas of Intercontinental Balistic Missile Silosaccording to Hindustan Times, one of the most read media in India. According to Air Force Times, the WC-135R He has been doing Unusual flight patterns About the northern United States.