Australian Government purchases Gulfstream G-550 and others

[Petropavlovsk]

L3 Communications Mission Integration, Greenville, Texas, has been awarded a $93,632,287 firm-fixed price undefinitized contract action task order (1648) for Australia Government G550 aircraft procurement and maintenance. Work will be performed at Greenville, Texas, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2017. This contract is 100-percent foreign military sales to Australia. The 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8620-11-G-4025)

[onetrack]

A little more light on a contract that is no doubt, designed to be slipped in under the radar, so to speak, during the extended holiday period? :hmm:

Australian Aviation - special missions Gulfstream 550's for the RAAF? (http://australianaviation.com.au/2016/01/special-missions-gulfstream-550s-for-the-raaf/)

[DutyofCare]

ONETRACT - good find man.

The G 550 has exceptional duty burning range, just ask any corporate pilots wife :{ :{ :{

Will it be given / handed over & crewed potentially by Customs / Cobham ( for the RAAF ) for the upcoming Japanese Whaling Season to watch the Scientists Slaying :=

Our Antarctic 42% claimed territorial slice needs to be watched, considering the funding Russia & China have allocated recently to their bases.

Hmmm > > > > :ooh: :ooh: :ooh:

[Stanwell]

Unspecified number?
There'll be no change left out of ONE, mate.

Is this a 'taste it and see' of a budget-priced EP-8?

[Flying Binghi]

...Will it be given / handed over & crewed potentially by Customs / Cobham ( for the RAAF ) for the upcoming Japanese Whaling Season to watch the Scientists Slaying
Our Antarctic 42% claimed territorial slice needs to be watched, considering the funding Russia & China have allocated recently to their bases.

"claimed" is right. Most countrys on the planet dont recognise our Antarctic claim. And no-one owns the whales until they are in the freezer. So, why waste taxpayer money looking at something we neither own nor control ?




.

[tio540]

MH 37............

[onetrack]

Indications are, it is TWO Gulfstreams - and the conversions won't be completed until the end of November 2017.

G550 contract suggests new Australian surveillance aircraft (https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/l-3-g550-contract-suggests-new-australian-surveillan-420465/)

Then - we find, we also have that wonderful Dept of Defence term, couched in the deal - "Undefinitized Contract".

What this means of course, is that we've handed over US$93M just to gut the interior - and the final bill could be $193M or $293M or $393M - depending on just how many invoices can be inflated to ballistic levels, to ensure the contractor can make ends meet - after all those corporate golf games times, and 50 new company Cadillacs are tacked onto the final invoice as "miscellaneous items". :suspect:

Definition of Undefinitized Contract (http://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/ccap/cc/jcchb/HTML/Topical/ucas.html)

[MustangRG]

DoD confirmed two 550's for special mission operations.... But what others?
Have they also ordered other jets from Gulfstream? And what role?
Any rumours kicking around?

[Petropavlovsk]

Anyone heard of any further developments on the G550 spy planes?

[TBM-Legend]

MC-55A's they're now called..

[Global Aviator]

Singapore use them as well.......

[stormfury]

L3 awarded contract for RAAF Gulfstream MC-55 EW support aircraft | ADBR (http://adbr.com.au/l3-awarded-contract-for-raaf-gulfstream-mc-55-elintsigint-aircraft/)

[tail wheel]

Bit of an under estimate at post #7 above:

[quote["The DSCA says the US$1.3bn (A$1.75bn) program will include spares, including whole-life costs of airborne and ground segments; aircraft modification and integration; ground systems for data processing and crew training; ground support equipment; publications and technical data; US government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; flight test and certification; and other related elements of logistical and program support." [/quote]

[Petropavlovsk]

No sign of the RAAF G550's as yet, still in mod shop?

[Duck Pilot]

I thought I saw one of these G-550s take off from Darwin a few months ago, although I may have mistaken it with something else as I only saw it from a distance.

[Office Update]

Apparently another couple has been added to the order. The first of which is close to delivery.
Adelaide based ?