OC-135 Open Skies Poster - Arms Control Observation Aircraft

The Boeing OC-135B Open Skies was one of the most unusual aircraft ever operated by the United States Air Force, not a weapon, not a surveillance platform in the traditional sense, but a confidence-building measure with wings. Converted from WC-135B weather reconnaissance aircraft, the two operational OC-135Bs were equipped with a suite of treaty-specified cameras, infrared sensors, and synthetic aperture radar to conduct cooperative aerial observation flights over the territory of signatory nations under the Open Skies Treaty, a 34-nation agreement signed in 1992. Any member nation could request an observation flight over any other member's territory with limited advance notice, and the observed nation was entitled to have observers aboard the observing aircraft, a Cold War-era concept of mutual transparency applied to the post-Cold War world.

The program's origins trace directly to President Dwight Eisenhower's 1955 "Open Skies" proposal to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, an offer of mutual aerial inspection that the Soviets rejected at the time and that lay dormant for three decades before the treaty's eventual signature. The OC-135Bs flew observation missions over Russia and other signatory nations through the 1990s and 2000s, providing the United States and its allies with a legal mechanism to verify military force dispositions that smaller nations without satellite capabilities could not otherwise obtain. The program became increasingly contentious as US-Russia relations deteriorated, with the United States accusing Russia of violating the treaty's terms by restricting access to certain areas. The final OC-135B was retired to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base boneyard in June 2021 following the US withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty in November 2020, bringing a unique chapter of arms control aviation to a close.

Our prints are museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper. They add a wonderful accent to your room or office and are sure to brighten any environment.

• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%
• Paper is sourced from Japan

We print your poster especially for you once you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Printing our posters on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction. Thank you for your understanding and making thoughtful purchasing decisions!