NAVAIR receives modified Gulfstream G550
The US Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207) Commercial Modifications and Range Support team has accepted delivery of a new Gulfstream G550-derivative aircraft.
The modified Gulfstream G550 has been adapted to house specialised telemetry equipment, unique to the navy’s application. The G550 will serve as the replacement for an aging P-3 range support aircraft operated out of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in Point Mugu, California.
The aircraft’s airborne early warning structural modifications will allow the installation of a telemetry system and additional equipment to support future missions.
Raytheon, the aircraft’s Phase II integrator, will now receive the aircraft and develop, procure and integrate systems that will give the aircraft a multi-role capability in telemetry data collection, range safety and surveillance and communications relay.
The aircraft is expected to be delivered for initial operating capability by August 2021.
More from Naval Warfare
-
How Canada plans to use the River-class programme to revitalise its defence industry
The Canadian DND estimates that the construction of destroyers will annually inject C$720 million (US$515 million) into the country’s GDP.
-
The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come
Designed as a multi-role frigate with both anti-submarine and air defence capabilities, Naval Group’s medium-sized FDI frigate increasingly stands out as a success story in an industry wrought with delays.
-
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.