The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has established a contract for a Gulfstream G550 to join its Hurricane Hunter fleet of aircraft. The aircraft will support NOAA’s weather forecasting and research programmes.
“Gulfstream has been providing aircraft to the US government for more than 50 years,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “We are proud to continue the partnership with NOAA’s G550. Our aircraft platforms provide government and military customers with the flexibility, range and altitude capabilities perfect for demanding missions.”
The G550 is Gulfstream’s most popular model for special-mission and government configurations. The aircraft has a maximum range of 6,750 nautical miles (12,501km) at its long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.80, and has more than 55 speed records.
Gulfstream has produced special-mission aircraft since 1967 for a variety of applications, including head-of-state transport, airborne early warning, ground surveillance, maritime patrol, atmospheric research and aeromedical evacuation. More than 205 Gulfstream aircraft are in service supporting governments and militaries in 40 countries around the world.
