Story ID: 365 Gulfstream special missions
Gulfstream Special-missions Business Continues To Grow
By: David Donald
Caption: The imminent delivery of EC-37B aircraft to the U.S. Air Force highlights the growing demand for bizjet-based electronic special missions aircraft.
Word Count: 707
The EC-37B is an electronic attack platform that targets the enemy’s command and control communications network, as well as radars and navigation systems. Currently the role—known as Compass Call—is handled by the Lockheed EC-130H, a variant of the Hercules. The fleet has been in service since 1982 and, following a lengthy career that included active service in all of the major U.S. military actions over four decades, is ready for replacement.
L3Harris is the lead systems integrator in the Compass Call Rehost team, alongside Gulfstream and BAE Systems. As its name suggests, the program ports the current Compass Call Baseline 3 system from the EC-130H into the G550. Five Gulfstreams are receiving this system and should be in service with the 355th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona by year-end.
Following these initial aircraft will be at least five more with the Baseline 4 system. The Air Force plans to operate at least 10 EC-37Bs but may expand the fleet to 14.
Choosing the G550 as a platform for the system highlights the growing trend to employ business jets for special missions that were once performed by modified airliners or military transports. Advances in electronics have shrunk the size of mission systems considerably, along with their power requirements.
Similarly, increased automation, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the improvement in datalink communications have greatly reduced the number of human operators required onboard. Compared with earlier platforms, the modern business jet also provides improved range and higher service ceilings, increasing the effective horizon for surveillance systems. Business jet cabin environments also make life far more comfortable for the crew.
Gulfstream is not the only manufacturer to benefit from this trend. Bombardier has seen its Challenger 650 and Global Express/6000/6500 employed for electronic missions—notably the Global 6000-based GlobalEye multi-sensor reconnaissance/airborne early warning aircraft for the United Arab Emirates. Dassault’s Falcon family has also been adapted to electronic roles, and the company is currently working on the Archange, a signals intelligence (Sigint) gatherer for the French air force based on the Falcon 8X.
GULFSTREAM'S LEGACY
Gulfstream is no stranger to the special missions world, and the sector remains an important element of the company’s portfolio. The original turboprop-powered Gulfstream I was the basis of the U.S. Navy’s TC-4C Academe multi-engine trainer, and the jet-powered Gulfstream II, III, and IV have all been modified for a variety of special missions.
Perhaps the most notable are the two Gulfstream IV-SPs converted for Sigint gathering. Known in service as the S 102B Korpen (raven), the Gulfstreams have recently been active along NATO’s border with Ukraine. Large numbers of Gulfstreams have been acquired by governments and air forces for VIP and staff transport duties, those in U.S. service being designated VC-11 (GII), C-20 (GIII/IV), and C-37 (GV/550).
Perhaps the most important development was the creation of the G550-based Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) variant, which first flew in May 2006. Developed in concert with Israel Aircraft Industries, the CAEW is a radical modification of the aircraft to house the Elta EL/W-2085 radar system. This is a 360-degree AEW suite developed from the EL/W-2075 Phalcon for the Boeing 707.
In 2015, Australia joined the Gulfstream G550 special-missions club, ordering two aircraft to be known as the MC-55A Peregrine in Royal Australian Air Force service. As many as five could be bought of this version, which is equipped with the Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (AISREW) multi-sensor system. Flight trials got underway at Gulfstream’s Savannah, Georgia headquarters in May 2022. The MC-55A features an underbelly canoe fairing but also has a tail bulge and satcom fairing similar to those of the CAEW aircraft.
Italy has also acquired two AISREW-equipped Sigint versions of the G550 to answer its Joint Airborne Multi-sensor Multi-mission System requirement. They will replace the single Aeritalia G-222VS that was used for many years.
Additionally, Italy has bought six “green” G550s for modification to special-missions configurations at a later date, raising its number of special-missions Gulfstreams to 10.
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