306 - Flying the RC-135S Cobra Ball

Guest: Robert Hopkins (twitter.com/cobraball3?lang=de) Host: Markus Voelter Shownoter: Bastian Hundt

Throughout the cold war, and til today, the Cobra-codenamed ground, sea and air assets have been used by the US to monitor Soviet/Russian ICBM missile launches and warhead reentries. The air component consists of the RC-135 Cobra Ball/Eye aircraft. Flying from Shemya in the Aleutians they used cameras and other sensors. Our guest, Robert Hopkins (twitter.com/cobraball3?lang=de) has been flying the aircraft in the late 1980s. In this episode he tells us about the mission and the flying — Shemya could be quite challenging.

Robert is also the author of the book on the KC-135 (amazon.de/Boeing-KC-135-Stratotanker-More-Tank…), you might want to check it out.

Introduction of Robert Hopkins
00:01:53
Cobra Ball (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_RC-135) | Cobra Eye (fas.org/irp/program/collect/cobra_eye.htm) | Ballistic Missile (ICBM) (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_missile) | Air Show (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_show>;)

Overview of the Missions
00:03:38
Sputnik 1 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1) | Ground Radar (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_radar) | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemetry | Boeing B-47 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-47_Stratojet) | Electronic Warfare (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_warfare) | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-135_Stratota… | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_RC-135 | Measurement and Signature Analysis (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement_and_signat…) | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shemya | Boost and Terminal Phase (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_missile_flig…) | Big Safari Program (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Safari) | Cobra Judi (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/SPQ-11) | Cobra Dane (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_Dane) | Synthetic Aperture Radar (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic-aperture_radar) | Reentry Vehicle (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_entry)

The KC-135
00:13:53
Boeing 707 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_707) | Infrared Sensor (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermographic_camera) | National Technical Means (NTM) (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_technical_mea…) | SALT 2 Treaty (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Arms_Limitat…) | SS-20 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSD-10_Pioneer) | Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate-range_bal…) | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-52_Stratofort… | Nuclear Verification (un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt) | Rivot Joint (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_RC-135) | ELINT (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signals_intelligence#E…) | COMINT (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signals_intelligence#C…) | Desert Storm (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War) | Burning Wind Mission (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Wind)

Difference between Cobra Ball and Cobra Eye
00:23:58
Strategic Defense Initiative (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Init…) | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhead | Bus / Penetration Aid (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penetration_aid) | Rivot Amber Incident (en.m.wikipedia.org/?title=Rivet_Amber_crash&am…) | TC-135 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_C-135_Stratolif…) | J-57 Engine (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_J57) | TF-33 Turbofan Engine (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_JT3D) | CFM-56 / F-108 Engine (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFM_International_CFM56)

Lisa Ann Mission
00:30:33
Ballistic Framing Camera System | Multiple Reentry Vehicles (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_independently…)

Flying, Operating and Living at Shemya
00:37:18
Rat Islands (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Islands) | Boeing Stratocruiser (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_377_Stratocruiser) | Eielson Airbase (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eielson_Air_Force_Base) | Red Flag (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Red_Flag) | Air Refueling (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_refueling) | Wind shear (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_shear) | EB-47 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-47_Stratojet) | Precision Approach Radar (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_approach_radar) | Microwave Landing System (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_landing_system) | King Crab (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_crab) | Queen Match Program | Lockheed Electra (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_L-188_Electra) | Boeing 727 (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_727)

The Cobra Mission
01:01:56
National Security Agency (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency) | en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-36_(missile)#R-36M_(SS-18)_variants | Racetrack Pattern (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holding_(aeronautics)) | Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate-Range_Nuc…) | Stellar Inertial Doppler System | Doppler-Shift (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_effect) | Looking Glas (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Looking_Glass)

The Book of Robert Hopkins
00:03:23
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker: More Than a Tanker (amazon.com/gp/product/1910809012/?ie=UTF8&…) | Spyflights and Overflights (amazon.com/gp/product/1902109503/?ie=UTF8&…)

The End
01:27:23
Open-Source Information <en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_intelligence | OmegaTau Episode about the Sofia Telescope (omegataupodcast.net/touren-tours/sofia)