A U.S. Army signals intelligence aircraft, the RC-12 GUARDRAIL (RC-12K/N/P/Q) is unusual among manned ISR aircraft in that it has no onboard capability to analyze the data it collects. The aircraft fly in units of three to give multiple bearings on a target, but transmit all data, in near-real-time, to a ground station.
The RC-12, Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL), and EP-3 ARIES II aircraft are all obsolescent, and due to be replaced by a future Airborne Common Sensor.
This page was last modified 07:57, 10 August 2010.