RC-12 Guardrail
| RC-12 Guardrail | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| RC-12N | |
| Role | Signals intelligence aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Beechcraft |
| Status | Active service |
| Primary user | United States Army |
| Developed from | Beechcraft C-12 Huron |
The Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail is an airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection platform based on the Beechcraft King Air and Super King Air. While the US military and specifically the United States Army have numerous personnel transport variants of the King Air platforms referred to with the general C-12 designation, the RC-12 specification represents a heavily modified platform that facilitates SIGINT collection through various sensors and onboard processors.
The US Army Guardrail platform has supplied critical intelligence and target information to the warfighter since 1971. Prior to the early 1980s the early Guardrail variants were based on the U-21. After adopting the C-12 platform over the U-21, the Guardrail platform has mostly evolved beneath its skin through structural, power plant, and equipment upgrades as noted by the various models described below.
Initially, the US Army had 13 RC-12Ds converted from C-12Ds, with deliveries starting in mid-1983. One aircraft was assigned to US Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort McPherson, Georgia, and the remainder to 1st Military Intelligence Battalion at Wiesbaden, Germany, and 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion at Stuttgart, Germany. The German-based aircraft were reassigned late 1991 to 3rd, 15th and 304th Military Intelligence Battalions at Camp Humphreys (South Korea), Fort Hood (Texas) and Fort Huachuca (Arizona) respectively. One was converted back to an earlier configuration as C-12D-1.
The next subsequent model was the RC-12G. Three RC-12G were delivered in 1985 after conversion from C-12D airframes. These aircraft served with the in Latin America and then with the 138th Military Intelligence Company (Aerial Exploitation) in Orlando, Florida, before being moved into storage at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
The next subsequent model was the RC-12H. The initial system contractor ESL Inc. delivered 6 RC-12H in 1988 for the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion at Camp Humphreys in Pyongtaek, South Korea.
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