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Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail
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 refers to a heavily modified platform that collects SIGINT through various sensors and onboard processors.
The US Army Guardrail platform has been in service 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 received 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 the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion at Wiesbaden, Germany, and the 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion at Stuttgart, Germany. The German-based aircraft were reassigned in 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 model was the RC-12G. Three RC-12G were delivered in 1985 after conversion from C-12D airframes. These aircraft served 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.
After the RC-12G, the next 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.
The next model was the RC-12K, after the RC-12H. The US Army ordered nine RC-12Ks in October 1985, of which eight replaced RC-12Ds in the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion in May 1991. One of these was lost in an accident. The ninth US Army aircraft was retained by the contractor, Raytheon, for conversion to the planned RC-12N configuration. An additional 2 RC-12K aircraft were delivered to Israel in May–June 1991.
The prototype RC-12N was converted from an RC-12K. A total of 15 were converted by E-Systems and delivered 1992-93 to the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia and the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion at Libby Army Airfield, Fort Huachuca, Arizona. One of these was lost in accident.
These led to the next model, the RC-12P. A total of 9 RC-12P aircraft were delivered to ESL/TRW at Moffett Federal Airfield in late 1994 and 1995. These airframes remained there in 1999.
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Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail AI simulator
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Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail
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 refers to a heavily modified platform that collects SIGINT through various sensors and onboard processors.
The US Army Guardrail platform has been in service 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 received 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 the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion at Wiesbaden, Germany, and the 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion at Stuttgart, Germany. The German-based aircraft were reassigned in 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 model was the RC-12G. Three RC-12G were delivered in 1985 after conversion from C-12D airframes. These aircraft served 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.
After the RC-12G, the next 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.
The next model was the RC-12K, after the RC-12H. The US Army ordered nine RC-12Ks in October 1985, of which eight replaced RC-12Ds in the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion in May 1991. One of these was lost in an accident. The ninth US Army aircraft was retained by the contractor, Raytheon, for conversion to the planned RC-12N configuration. An additional 2 RC-12K aircraft were delivered to Israel in May–June 1991.
The prototype RC-12N was converted from an RC-12K. A total of 15 were converted by E-Systems and delivered 1992-93 to the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia and the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion at Libby Army Airfield, Fort Huachuca, Arizona. One of these was lost in accident.
These led to the next model, the RC-12P. A total of 9 RC-12P aircraft were delivered to ESL/TRW at Moffett Federal Airfield in late 1994 and 1995. These airframes remained there in 1999.