New VIP transport for Italian Air Force
The aircraft of the 31° Stormo 'Carmelo Raiti' are used for state transport and for public utility missions, such as the urgent medical transport of sick people, seriously traumatised people and organs for transplants (TSU, Trasporto Sanitario d’Urgenza - urgent medical transport), but also for interventions on behalf of people in high-risk and humanitarian situations.
In December 2023, the Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) decided to replace their Dassault Falcon 50 and Falcon 900 fleet. The Dassault aircraft will be replaced by the Gulfstream G650ER, a large business jet produced by Gulfstream Aerospace.
The G650ER can be configured to carry 11 to 18 passengers. Gulfstream started the G650 programme in 2005 and unveiled it to the public in 2008. The G650 was previously the company's largest and fastest business jet with a top speed of Mach 0.925. The Aeronautica Militare (ItAF, Italian Air Force) ordered four Gulfstream G650ERs and optioned another.
It is not yet known when deliveries will start. The Italian Air Force reported that the two Falcon 50s might already be withdrawn from use in 2024. This means that medical transport capacity will be halved. The air force will benefit if this loss of capacity can be filled quickly.
Currently the 31° Stormo has two Falcon 50s (operated by 306° Gruppo) and three Falcon 900s (operated by 93° Gruppo) in its active inventory.
Dassault Falcon 50 (local designation VC-50A)
Derived from the previous Dassault Falcon 20, the Falcon 50 almost entirely retains its construction characteristics with the integration of a third engine installed at the tail. The aircraft can quickly switch from VIP configuration, with nine passengers, to Medical Transport configuration, with two stretchers and five passengers. In this role it transports sick, traumatised or patients in need of organ transplants.
Dassault Falcon 900EX and Falcon 900EX-EASy (local designation VC-900A)
The Falcon 900EX is a three-jet engine with intercontinental autonomy used for state and medical transport. The EX-EASy (Enhanced Avionics System) version (MM62244 and MM62245) is equipped with LCD screens that allow faster reading of flight parameters.
Credit photo: Aeronautica Militare