Italy's electronic warfare bizjet program advances to the final stages
With the U.S. approving the sale of brand-new electronic attack jets, Italy is now in the final phase of significantly expanding their ISR bizjet fleet to meet current and future threats
As one of the very few European ISR bizjet operators, Italy is set to take the lead with acquisition programs for up to eight more ‘bizjets of war’. The two Italian E-550A jets, which currently fly near-daily missions over Italy and NATO’s Eastern Flank, will be joined by up to three more CAEW bizjets. Additionally, the country will acquire two new ISR bizjets and is now in the final stages of procuring two brand-new EA-37B Compas Call II jets as well. On October 6, the U.S. Department of State approved the sale of these new electronic attack bizjets, prompting me to take a closer look at the new ISR bizjets and those already in Italian service.
The origins of the Italian ‘bizjets of war’ program can be traced back to the 1990s, when Italy’s Defence White Paper recommended the acquisition of two airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. However, budget cuts forced the Italian Air Force to prioritise other programs, and the program only kicked off in 2012. That year, Italy and Israel signed a cooperation agreement that would see the European country receiving two G550 CAEW jets in exchange for trainer aircraft and collaboration on a reconnaissance satellite.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elta developed the Gulfstream G550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) bizjets for Israel’s domestic needs in the early 2000s, where they are known as the Nachshon Eitam. The CAEW bizjets are equipped with, among other systems, the EL/W-2085 radar suite, an identification friend or foe (IFF) system, as well as ELINT and COMINT sensors. The primary sensor, the dual-band radars, are installed in the side-facing fairings, in the nose and on the rear fuselage, and provide a 360° coverage that is updated every 2-4 seconds. This radar suite can used for both air-to-air and air-to-ground surveillance and can be concentrated in any direction, which allows the crew to either scan a larger area or focus the radar beams on a smaller target at a longer range. While the radar sensor suite is the primary mission system of the bizjets, it is also commonly used as an airborne command node. With unmatched battlespace awareness, the modified G550s operate as a critical command node between tactical platforms, such as fighter jets, and other mission participants, including surface elements such as ships and ground vehicles. To fulfil these missions, the E-550s are crewed by two pilots and six system operators, which include one electronic warfare specialist and five sensor operators.
Deliveries of the very first G550 CAEW jets started with two platforms to the Israeli Air Force in 2007, followed by four jets to the Republic of Singapore Air Force from 2010 onwards. In 2015, work on Italy’s first airframe began, with Gulfstream completing most of the exterior modifications and IAI installing the mission systems later that year. Following test and acceptance flights, Italy’s first G550 CAEW bizjet, designated E-550A in Italian service, arrived at the 71° Gruppo squadron. The second jet arrived in December 2017 to join the years-long testing and integration process of the Italian Air Force.
After years of operations for the Italian Air Force, the service is now doubling its fleet of E-550s, with two more under contract and an additional CAEW bizjet as an option. As part of the Italian Air Force’s modernisation efforts, it also plans to buy two dedicated electronic attack bizjets. Just recently, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of the EA-37B Compas Call II platform to Italy. These heavily modified Gulfstream G550s, which are equipped with a highly classified electronic warfare suite, were just recently introduced in the U.S. Air Force and are based on the same exterior modifications package as the G550 CAEW bizjets and the U.S. Navy’s NC-37B range control jet. The EA-37B bizjets serve as a long-range, full-spectrum stand-off electromagnetic warfare platform to disrupt enemy communication, radar, and navigation systems. While both the E-550 CAEW and the upcoming Italian EA-37B jets can also be employed as ISR platforms, the Italian Air Force is also running a procurement program for two dedicated ISR bizjets. Details of these ISR bizjets are sparse, but they will also be based on the Gulfstream G550 and will likely be similar to Australia’s new MC-55A Peregrine jets. The Australian ISR bizjets, which are still in the testing phase, are equipped with EO/IR, radar and SIGINT sensors. These capabilities are very similar to the sensor suite of the ATHENA bizjets, which is installed on modified Bombardier Global 6500s and explained in more detail in this post.
Conclusion
The significant expansion of the Italian ‘bizjets of war’ programs highlights the shifting focus of its military in response to increased geopolitical tensions in the region. Amid operational deployments, the two Italian E-550As will soon be supplemented by two, possibly three, more CAEW bizjets. Additionally, the soon-to-be leading European ISR bizjet operator is in the process of acquiring two A-ISREW bizjets and two, possibly three, dedicated electronic attack EA-37Bs as well. The six, potentially up to eight, new bizjets will be pivotal force multipliers for Italy’s military. As Europe is readying itself for a conflict with Russia, the significant increase in European ISR/EW bizjets is yet another example of the global increase in ‘bizjets of war’ amid heightened security threats in an increasingly unstable world.
Thank you
Thank you for reading this post! As always, feel free to reach out with your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions. If you have information or photos about ISR bizjets, you can always contact me via DMs (@bizjetsofwar) and/or send an email (see the About page). You will always stay anonymous and the information/photos will not be shared without explicit approval, but please do not send information you are not allowed to share.
Great article !