The first WC-135R Constant Phoenix

A Boneyard Safari Exclusive! Our photography team was on site in Greenville, Texas to witness the test flight of the the first WC-135R Constant Phoenix. The WC-135 Constant Phoenix serves the mission of collecting samples from the atmosphere with the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear material. The Constant Phoenix carries a specialized on-board atmospheric collection suite that allows the crew to detect radioactive “clouds” in real time.

The WC-135R is the newest variant of the “Nuke Sniffer.” In the fall of 2019 the USAF began the conversion of three KC-135R Stratotankers to replace the aging WC-135C and two WC-135Ws. WC-135R 64-14836 is the 1st of the three KC-135Rs to be converted to Constant Phoenix standard. The jets are undergoing their conversion at the L3 Harris facility at Greenville Majors Airport. Currently only one WC-135 is in active service, WC-135W 61-2667. In late 2020, Boneyard Safari made it out to Greenville to capture WC-135C 62-3582 as it arrived to be stripped of its major components prior to its final journey to AMARG at Davis-Monthan AFB.

With tensions of the Cold War again on the forefront of military planners minds, the new WC-135Rs will play a critical role for years to come. Enjoy these exclusive photos of the newest Nuke Sniffer returning from a long test flight, callsign “SAME40.”

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