Gulfstream in Uniform : Part V

Gulfstream V/G550 : VIP jets

With the introduction of the Gulfstream V, existing Gulfstream operators now had an opportunity to fly further and faster than ever before, this allowed air forces to have a jet that could not only carry VIPs with less stops in the finest of comfort but it also made way for a totally new platform to be created in the form of aerial surveillance, I will look into this in the next part of the Gulfstream V/G550 story.

The Gulfstream V took on the designation of C-37A, Gulfstream delivered the first frame to the US Air Force in 1997, another 9 airframes followed and were split across the USAF. These were used with continental, Pacific and European fleets. Both the US Army and US Navy also operated a small number of the C-37A.
As would be expected, the US Coast Guard also upgraded and took on a new build Gulfstream C-37A and took delivery in 2002, this was later complimented in 2017 with a secondhand G550 and designated C-37B.
The slight abbreviation of C-37B, was to be the designation for the Gulfstream G550 and all three services took on the type, the US Navy added three C-37Bs. While the US Army and US Air Force also still fly a small fleet of the C-37B.

Outside of the United States, Greece operate a Gulfstream V for VIP duties, while Turkey, Poland, Mexico and Sweden all have G550s in their Air Force inventories.

Not worthy of its own post just yet. Only one Gulfstream G650 so far has entered military service, Zambia took delivery of AF001 late in 2018. Although not having reached Zambia just yet, as it is currently in Basel, Switzerland having some aftermarket extras fitted, I doubt this will be the only military G650 though.

Both images by Westleigh Bushell