Aircraft
Business Jets Find Favor in Multiple Special Missions Roles
Gulfstream and other manufacturers work with customers and defense contractors to adapt their aircraft
Gulfstream G550 aircraft in U.S. Air Force service
L3Harris worked with Gulfstream and BAE Systems to convert the G550 business jet into an electronic attack platform for the U.S. Air Force.

In recent years, demand and scope for using business aircraft as platforms for a wide array of special missions has been rising. Leading manufacturers in the sector—namely Gulfstream, Bombardier, Embraer, Dassault, and Textron—are all now vying for contracts covering applications ranging from electronic warfare to transportation for government leaders and emergency medical services.

A pair of orders from authorities in the Nordic region last month represents a prime example. Finland’s coast guard chose Bombardier’s Challenger 650 jet for its MVX airborne surveillance requirement, while Sweden exercised an option to acquire a third example of the Canadian company’s Global 6000-based S 106 GlobalEye airborne early warning (AEW) platform.