US RC-135S Cobra Ball deploys to Alaska

A US Air Force RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft, a specialized platform for tracking ballistic missile launches, has deployed from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. The aircraft, using the callsign COBRA28 and tactical hex code #AE01D7, was tracked by aviation observers during the flight. This deployment of a key strategic reconnaissance asset to a forward location in the Pacific region comes amid heightened global tensions. The RC-135S is specifically designed to collect optical and electronic data on foreign ballistic missile tests.