Italy confirms plans to develop G550-based C4ISTAR aircraft in co-operation with the US

Italy has confirmed plans to acquire new Gulfstream G550-based multimission aircraft that will be later modified for conformal airborne early warning and control/electronic attack (CAEW/EA) roles via a deal with the United States, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed in the country's latest multi-year planning document (Documento Programmatico Pluriennale: DPP) for 2021–23.

The DPP, released on 5 August, provides new details on plans initially announced in October 2020 for the Italian Air Force's (Aeronautica Militare Italiana: AMI's) C4ISTAR aircraft acquisition programme that is now budgeted for a total of EUR2.15 billion (USD2.5 billion) over two separate phases.

The first phase, which has been approved by ministerial decree in February 2021, will see the development of the G550-based C4ISTAR solution over a series of tranches from 2021 through to 2032 for an estimated programme value of about EUR1.223 billion to include operational support and related infrastructure.

“The programme relates to a multimission system, based on the Gulfstream G550 aerial platform equipped with modern sensors for strategic information collection and electronic superiority, suitable for integration into a net-centric architecture of C4ISTAR for real-time sharing of information, able to operate both in an autonomous context [and as part] of a complex inter-force structure,” the DPP noted.