Photograph:
Gulfstream G-550-L-3 special missions aircraft (Gulfstream)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Communications Mission Integration system
Power Plant:
Two 15,385 lbst Rolls Royce BR710 turbofans
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 28.5 m (93 ft 6 in)
- Length: 29.4 m (96 ft 5 in)
- Height: 7.9 m (25 ft 10 in)
- Max speed: 941 km/h (585 mph)
- Cruising speed: 904 km/h (562 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 15,545 m (51,000 ft)
- Range: 12,500 km (7,767 miles)
- Take-off distance: 1,800 m (5,910 ft)
- Landing distance: 880 m (2,770 ft)
- Empty weight: 21,900 kg (48,300 lb)
- Useful load: 2,800 kg (6,200 lb)
- Loaded weight: 41,3200 kg (91,000 lb)
History:
The Gulfstream G-550 was one of a series of business and executive jets produced by General Dynamics Gulfstream Aerospace at its facility in Savannah, Georgia marketed under the name V-SP. By early 2016 450 aircraft in the G-550 series had been delivered to a variety of operators for a variety of roles.
The G-500 was a variant of the G-550 which received certification in 2003 and was aimed at a market for a shorter range model, range being reduced to 10,500 km (6,524 miles), it being thought there was a new market for customers which required the reliability of the G-550 but not the level of interior customisation.
Variants in service with the United States military had the designation C-37B. Airborne Early Warning (AEW) models developed in Israel had an IAI EL/W-2085 sensor package for AEW operations , these aircraft being modified for this role by Israel Aerospace Industries. One variant delivered to Germany was known as the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO).
The Gulfstream G-550 was for some years operated as a business and executive aircraft capable of carrying 14 to 19 passengers for 12,501 km (7,768 miles) but a number were modified as special missions aircraft for military service around the world. These included the CAEW Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) and Special Electronic Missions Aircraft (SEMA). Examples of these are operated by the Israeli Air Force. The Singapore Air Force also operated a couple in the CAEW role, and examples were ordered by the Italian Air Force and the United States Navy (USN), the latter being used as range monitoring aircraft .
On 28 December 2015 the Australian Government through the United States Department of Defence announced a deal under the US Military Sales Program to obtain at least two (the number of aircraft at the time not being announced) L-3 aircraft from Communications Mission Integration of Greenville, Texas, the aircraft to be modified by that company in Texas, with the aircraft to be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) by 30 November 2017. At the time the Australian Government had not yet publicly announced a requirement for special missions aircraft of this type but the project was later confirmed in the Government’s 2016 Defence White Paper. The intelligence gathering operations were expected to take place from RAAF Edinburgh, SA.
The Texas company, Communications Mission Integration (formerly known as E-Systems), specialised in the modernisation and maintenance of a range of aircraft and was known for the design, development and integration of special mission systems for military and commercial applications. The new aircraft, of which five examples were expected to be obtained, were to replace the Lockheed PA-3C Orions which were modified to quasi-EP-3 status for operation by the RAAF from RAAF base Edinburgh.
In the 2016 Defence White Paper released on 25 February it was stated an initial purchase of two aircraft would occur for conversion to Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare (SREW) platforms and the RAAF A51- prefix would be allotted to the series, the aircraft to be operated by the RAAF’s Surveillance and Response Group (SRG), with up to a total of five aircraft to be obtained, but at that time the operating squadron was not stated.
In March and April 2016 the first two RAAF aircraft N540GA (c/ns 5540) and N542GS (c/n 5542) were delivered to Greenville, Texas to be fitted with their electronic equipment, followed later by the third aircraft N584GA (c/n 5584), receiving American registrations for testing purposes. Work was continuing in early 2019 although it is noted that originally the work was to be completed by the end of 2017.
Eventually the Australian Government decided to obtain four airframes converted to the new configuration to be operated by No 92 Wing at Edinburgh alongside the Boeing P-8A Poseidons of No 11 Squadron and the MQ-4C Triton UAVs. The four aircraft being modified for the RAAF under Project AIR 555 were designated the MC-55A Peregrine. The program has been managed through the USAF 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, this organisation specialising in the acquisition, modification and support of special purpose aircraft.