https://aviationweek.com/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg
Skip to main content
  • Market Sector
    • Aerospace
    • Air Transport
    • MRO
    • Defense
    • Space
    • Business Aviation
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Connected Aerospace
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
      • Advanced Air Mobility
      • Sustainability
    • Air Transport
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports & Networks
      • Airlines & Lessors
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
    • MRO
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Supply Chain
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Workforce & Training
      • Sustainability
    • Defense
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Sensors & Electronic Warfare
      • Missile Defense & Weapons
      • Supply Chain
      • Budget, Policy & Operations
      • Sustainability
    • Space
      • Launch Vehicles & Propulsion
      • Commercial Space
      • Space Exploration
      • Satellites
      • Budget, Policy & Regulation
      • Operations & Safety
    • Business Aviation
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports, FBOs & Suppliers
      • Flight Deck
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
  • Marketplace
  • Services
    • Services
      • Advertising
      • Marketing Services
      • Fleet, Data & APIs
      • Research & Consulting
      • Network and Route Planning
      • Marketplace
  • Store
    • Market Sector

      • Aerospace
      • Air Transport
      • MRO
      • Defense
      • Space
      • Business Aviation
    • Type View All Products
      • Intelligence Bundles
        • AWIN - Premium
        • AWIN - Aerospace and Defense
        • AWIN - Business Aviation
        • AWIN - Commercial Aviation
      • Market Briefings
        • Advanced Air Mobility Report
        • Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
        • Aviation Daily
        • SpeedNews
        • The Weekly of Business Aviation
      • Directories
        • Air Charter Guide
        • Aviation Week Marketplace
        • Route Exchange
        • The Engine Yearbook
      • Data Services
        • AC-U-KWIK
        • Aircraft Bluebook
        • Airportdata.com
        • Airport Strategy and Marketing (ASM)
        • CAPA – Centre for Aviation
        • Fleet Discovery Civil
        • Fleet Discovery Military
        • Fleet & MRO Forecast
        • MRO Prospector
      • Publications
        • Air Transport World
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO
        • Business & Commercial Aviation
        • CAPA - Airline Leader
        • Routes magazine
        • ShowNews
      • Resources
        • Downloadable Reports
  • Events
    • Recent webinars
    • Events View All Events
      • MRO
        • MRO Americas
        • MRO Asia
        • MRO Australasia
        • MRO Baltics & Eastern Europe Region
        • MRO Europe
        • MRO Latin America
        • MRO Middle East
        • MRO Southeast Asia
        • Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium (MALMS)
      • Commercial Aviation/A&D
        • Aero-Engines Americas
        • Aero-Engines Europe
        • Aero-Engines Asia-Pacific
        • MRO Systems Integration Symposium
        • Engine Leasing Trading & Finance Europe
        • Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance Americas
      • Air Transport
        • Routes Americas
        • Routes Europe
        • Routes World
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Airlines in Transition
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Americas
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Latin America & Caribbean
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Australia Pacific
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit - Asia & Sustainability Awards
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit - World & Awards for Excellence
        • GAD Americas
        • GAD World
      • Aerospace and Defense
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions Conference (ADMA)
        • A&D Manufacturing Conference
        • Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (RMC)
        • A&D Programs
      • Awards
        • Aviation Week 20 Twenties
        • Aviation Week Laureate Awards
        • ATW Airline Awards
        • Program Excellence Awards and Banquet
        • CAPA Asia Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence
  • About
    • About Aviation Week Network
      • Our Story
      • Content and Data Team
      • Aviation Week & Space Technology 100-Year
    • Contact Us
      • Subscriber Services
      • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
      • Content Sales
      • Events
      • PR & Communications
      • Content Licensing and Reprints
      • FAQ
  • Log In
  • Register
  • My Account
    • Profile
    • Sign Out
  • AWIN Access
  • My cart
    Back to
  1. Business Aviation

Share

Spotlight on Bizjet-based Special Mission Aircraft

Graham Warwick January 10, 2018

Bombardier Global 6000

Credit: J-Stars Recap, Lockheed Martin

The original Global Express is the platform for the U.S. Air Force’s Northrop Grumman E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a flying gateway between networks, and the UK Royal Air Force’s radar-carrying ground-surveillance Raytheon Sentinel R.1. The Global 6000 is the basis for Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C, carrying its EriEye AESA radar. The United Arab Emirates has ordered three, plus two Elint/Sigint Global 6000s being modified by Marshall in the UK. 

Weight: 99,500 lb. Range: 6,000 nm

Bombardier Global 6000

Credit: Saab Swordfish, SAAB

Saab also offers the Global 6000-based Swordfish MPA, while Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) proposes the ELI-3360 MPA based on the Global 5000. Lockheed Martin’s proposal for the U.S. Air Force Joint Surveillance Attack Radar System Recapitalization (J-Stars Recap) battlefield-surveillance program uses the Global 6000.

Weight: 99,500 lb. Range: 6,000 nm

Gulfstream G550

Credit: Gulfstream EC-37B & Gulfstream NC-37B, Gulfstream

The G550 was selected as the platform for IAI’s Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft, carrying its ELW-2085 AESA radar and supplied to Israel (2), Italy (2) and Singapore (4). IAI has also delivered three sigint-configured G500s to the Israeli Air Force. L3 Technologies is to “crossdeck” the U.S. Air Force’s Compass Call electronic-attack system from the EC-130H (14 aircraft) to the G550 CAEW-based EC-37B and the U.S. Navy’s new NC-37B range-support aircraft will be based on the CAEW configuration. L3 will also modify up to five G550s for Australia’s Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare program. Northrop Grumman is proposing the G550 for the U.S. Air Force’s J-Stars Recap, carrying a battlefield-surveillance AESA.

Dassault Falcon

Credit: Falcon 2000MRA, Dassault

Dassault has developed two special-mission configurations: the Falcon 900 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Falcon 2000 Maritime Multirole Aircraft —the latter conceived originally to meet a still-delayed French requirement, Avsimar, for 10 aircraft. South Korea in 2017 received two Falcon 2000 sigint aircraft to replace Hawker 800s supplied by Raytheon. The Japan Coast Guard has so far ordered three Falcon 2000s for maritime surveillance, equipped with a mission system developed with L3 and Thales.

 
Credit: Affinity Flying Training Services
Phenom 100

Textron Scorpion

Credit: U.S. Army Beechcraft King Air 350ER

The most popular special-mission platform is a turboprop, the Beechcraft King Air 350ER. ISR versions on offer include L3’s Spyder II and Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Scorpion. The U.S. Army’s MC-12Ws are being modified to the same standard as four Boeing-developed MC-12s. 

 
Image credit: Textron
Previous
Next

Shrinking electronics, and the size, power and performance of long-range, large-cabin business jets is fueling interest in versions that can cost-effectively perform specialized missions ranging from ground surveillance to maritime patrol.

Graham Warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week's coverage of technology, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a special focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, aerospace and defense.

Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Monitor the market and connect your business to the people, programs and proprietary data driving the Business Aviation market - only available with AWIN.

BAV_AWIN_270_thumb

Stay Connected.
Stay Informed
Grow Your Business.

Learn How

Follow us on

Markets

  • Aerospace
  • Air Transport
  • MRO
  • Defense
  • Space
  • Business Aviation

Products

  • AWIN Intelligence Bundles
  • Market Briefings
  • Publications
  • Data Services
  • Directories
  • Resources

Contact Us

  • Subscriber Services
  • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
  • Content Sales
  • Events
  • PR & Communications
  • Content Licensing and Reprints
  • FAQ

Other Resources

  • Aviation Week Marketplace
  • Knowledge Center
  • Newsletters
  • ShowNews
  • Advertising - Media Kits
Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use