An Agency of the U.S. Department of defense on military cooperation (Defense Security Cooperation Agency - DSCA) 15 December 2020 had sent to Congress notification of the planned upcoming sale of Italy on the lines of the American program of the intergovernmental foreign military sales Foreign Military Sales (FMS) equipment for the creation of two large business jets Gulfstream G550 aircraft radio - electronic intelligence and electronic warfare (Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare - AISREW). This delivery is approved by the US Department of State. The total cost of the proposed delivery will be $ 500 million, including training and technical support packages.
One of two previously acquired by the Italian Air Force long-range radar patrol and control aircraft G550 CAEW (E-550A) based on Gulfstream G550, equipped with a radar and radio engineering complex of the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) (Italian aircraft tail number 14-12, serial number 5454) (c) Stefano Monteleone / Archivio Aviation Report
The main contractor for the delivery will be the American corporation L3Harris. In addition to the special target AISREW equipment, the delivery will also include RIO Communications Intelligence System, Information Distribution Systems - Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) terminals, AN/ALE-47 on-board defense systems, MX-20HD optoelectronic systems and Osprey 50 AESA on-board radars with AFAR.
On the part of bmpd, we recall that in June 2020, it became known that the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), signed a contract, presumably with Italy, for the supply of a special purpose reconnaissance aircraft (Special Mission Aircraft) in the amount of $ 350 million. Presumably, it meant the delivery of a radio and radio intelligence aircraft at the same Gulfstream G550 base. earlier in 2012, italy, as part of an offset deal for the purchase of italian leonardo m-346 master combat training aircraft by israel, ordered two g550 caew (conformal airborne early warning & control system) awacs and control aircraft from iai in israel.) Also based on the Gulfstream G550, the aircraft were transferred to Italy in 2016 and 2018, receiving the Italian designation E-550A.
In early December 2020, from documents distributed in the Italian Parliament, it became known that the Italian Ministry of Defense plans to purchase up to eight radio and radio intelligence aircraft based on the Gulfstream G550, for a total of 1.223 billion euros, until 2032. Moreover, the first two aircraft were planned to be purchased for conversion in the near future.
