It was announced
last month that Gulfstream Aerospace had won a $91million U.S. Navy
contract to supply one Gulfstream G-550 Green aircraft with Airborne
Early Warning air vehicle modifications. Navy Recognition contacted
the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to learn more about
this procurement and the platform.
According to Gulfstream
Aerospace, the G-550 Green has a flight range of 6,750 nautical miles
(12,501 kilometers). The aircraft is capable of operating out of short-field,
high-altitude airports. It can transport up to 18 passengers and has
the endurance to fly more than 12 hours.
Operators
of the G-550 in AEW variant include Israel, Italy and Singapore.
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Navy
Recognition (NR): Why is the US Navy procuring a land based AEW platform?
Can't the US Navy use their existing E-2C and E-2D aircraft?
NAVAIR: The Gulfstream G550 AEW aircraft is the only known aircraft
that satisfies the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWC-WD)
Sea Test Range Support requirements without significant engineering,
development, modification, test, and certification effort, all of which
would result in an unacceptable delay in fielding the system. Unlike
any other known aircraft, the G550 AEW aircraft's outer mold line satisfies
the airborne telemetry (TM) system requirement and already possesses
an FAA Type Certificate, as well as the necessary Supplemental Type
Certificates, to meet government airworthiness requirements.
NR: Which company provides the AEW kit on the aircraft?
NAVAIR: The G550 AEW aircraft will be provided as a government-furnished
property to a company chosen through a full and open competition. This
company will develop a tri-band telemetry system and procure and integrate
the telemetry system along with additional mission equipment into the
G550 AEW airframe. The request for proposal containing all aircraft
mission equipment requirements is anticipated to be released in fall
2016.
NR: Which US Navy unit will be flying the aircraft ?
NAVAIR: The G550 AEW will be operated by Air Test and Evaluation
Squadron (VX) 30.
NR: What missions are expected to be conducted by this aircraft ?
NAVAIR: The G550 AEW aircraft will be used only as a Telemetry Range
Support Aircraft (TRSA). It will perform airborne data retrieval functions
in its primary mission, flying near the system under test and collecting
data through the telemetry antennae.
Additional TRSA missions include multi-band range communications and
monitoring of the test range to determine if any unauthorized vessels
have entered the hazard pattern of the vehicle under test.
If an emergency arises during test, the TRSA can also terminate the
system under test through a command destruct/flight termination system.
NR: When should it be delivered to the US Navy ?
NAVAIR: The expected delivery date is Summer 2018.
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