The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Italy of Gulfstream G550 Aircraft with Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare (AISREW) Mission Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $500 million. The Government of Italy has requested to buy articles and services to support the integration of two (2) Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare (AISREW) mission systems onto two (2) Italian Ministry of Defense-provided G550 aircraft consisting of:
— four (4) Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems – Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) (2 installed, 2 spares);
— three (3) Embedded/GPS/INS (EGI) with GPS security devices, airborne (2 installed, 1 spare); and
— four (4) RIO Communications Intelligence Systems (2 installed, 2 spares).
Also included are Missile Warning Sensors, AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispenser Sets (CMDS), MX-20HD Electro-Optical and Infra-Red systems, Osprey 50 AESA Radars, AISREW ISR equipment, Secure Communications equipment, Identification Friend or Foe Systems, aircraft modification and integration, ground systems for data processing and crew training, ground support equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, flight test and certification, and other related elements of logistical and program support.
The AISREW is the newest EW platform aircraft designed to actively strengthen electronic warfare support to naval, air and land forces for operations in complex electromagnetic environments. Features of the AISREW include an endurance of more than 15 hours, a cruise speed of 0.8 mach and a service ceiling of 51,000 feet. The proposed sale supports and complements the ongoing efforts of Italy to modernize its airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare capability and increases interoperability between the U.S. Air Force and the Italian Air Force (ITAF).
