A US Air Force spy jet was spotted soaring over several states home to America's land-based nuclear missile force on Friday.
The Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint is a high-tech aircraft designed to support 'theater and national level consumers with near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities.'
Flight tracking data showed the jet departing Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska, at about 9.44am, before heading north through the Dakotas.
The plane first traveled into South Dakota, passing through central and eastern regions that once hosted Minuteman II silos under Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City.
It then moved into North Dakota near Minot, home to one of the densest concentrations of active missile silos in the nation.
The 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base oversees roughly 150 Minuteman III silos scattered across rural north-central North Dakota, with some extending southeast toward Bismarck.
The US currently maintains about 400 silo-based Minuteman III missiles across North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming, forming the land-based leg of the nation's nuclear deterrent.
While officials have not confirmed the reason for Friday's mission, it comes as President Donald Trump said he is 'not happy' with nuclear talks with Iran but will wait to see what happens in additional rounds of negotiations.
'I'm not happy with the fact that they're not willing to give us what we have to have. I'm not thrilled with that. We'll see what happens. We're talking later,' Trump told reporters as he left the White House today.
'We're not exactly happy with the way they're negotiating. They cannot have nuclear weapons.'
Tensions between the US and Iran remain high after the latest nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday failed to produce a breakthrough, with American forces continuing to gather in the region.
Trump has threatened military action if Iran does not agree to a far-reaching deal to constrain its nuclear program, while Iran insists it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes and denies seeking a nuclear weapon.
FlightRadar24 first showed the Rivet Joint leaving Offutt Air Force Base, where the aircraft is primarily housed under the control of the 55th Wing and 45th Reconnaissance Squadron.
During Friday's mission, the jet made four loops, circling above historic Minuteman II missile sites.
A Minuteman II missile was an upgraded US intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with enhanced range, speed, and targeting, featuring an advanced guidance system and a powerful warhead.
The Rivet Joint seats more than 30 personnel, including the cockpit crew, electronic warfare officers, intelligence operators, and in-flight maintenance technicians.
It is designed to 'detect, identify, and geolocate signals,' providing immediate intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination capabilities.
Last year, the Rivet Joint was spotted on a mysterious mission over the Gulf of California in Mexico - a region known as a cartel stronghold.
Tracking data captured the US Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft taking off from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on February 5, flying southwest to California.
The Rivet Joint then headed south along the western coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, moved north into the Gulf of California, and returned to base on Tuesday.
The aircraft appeared to stay in international airspace while operating near Mexico. It did not reach the end of the Gulf that is blocked by Mexico's territorial sea.
However, the area falls under the influence of the Sinaloa Cartel, a large and notorious drug trafficking organization.
US-Mexico relations have remained strained due to continued drug smuggling and illegal immigration into the US.
