The new G650ER aircraft will take over the urgent medical transport missions currently assigned to the Dassault Falcon 50 and Falcon 900.
The Italian Air Force has received the first two Gulfstream G650ERs to be used for VIP transport and emergency medical transport. The two aircraft flew from Gulfstream’s production facilities in Appleton, Wisconsin, to their new home at Ciampino airport, near Rome, where they arrived on the morning of Apr. 12, 2025, with the callsigns IAM3143 and IAM3170.
The two flights have been followed by online flight trackers after the two G650ER’s possible delivery this month was rumored. The two aircraft landed on Ciampino’s runway 45 minutes apart, and aviation photographer Luca Di Blasi was able to photograph one of them.
The two new Gulfstream G650s of the Italian Air Force are en route to Rome Ciampino for delivery. pic.twitter.com/2piH7AdLxo
— itamilradar (@ItaMilRadar) April 12, 2025
The aircraft have been painted in a livery similar to the Falcon 900EX’s, featuring a blue line from the tail to the nose, interrupted only by the writing “Repubblica Italiana” (Italian Republic) and a small Italian flag, just below the fuselage’s windows. Another stripe, this time with the colors of the Italian flag, starts just above the rear windows, where the writing “Aeronautica Militare” (Italian Air Force) can be seen, and ends up on the vertical stabilizer, where it meets the European flag. The winglets feature the Italian flag too.
In accordance with the Italian MoD Mission Design Series, the new aircraft is expected to be designated as VC-650A. Similarly, the aircraft that will be replaced are designated VC-50 and VC-900.
Urgent acquisition
The G650ERs will replace the Dassault Falcon 50 and Falcon 900 fleets assigned to the 31° Stormo, as announced in the 2023 multi-year defense planning which mentioned that a sustainability study showed the replacement couldn’t be postponed anymore. In fact, the current fleet is made of two Falcon 50, which have accumulated over 30 years of service, and three Falcon 900, which are close to 20 years.
The MoD documents said in 2023 that the urgency of the acquisition was dictated by the fact that the VC-50 was going to be retired by 2024, cutting in half the emergency medical transport capability. It appears that one of the two remaining VC-50s is still flying today, possibly waiting for the delivery of the VC-650 before being retired.
The ItAF’s intention is to replace the old aircraft on a one-for-one basis, and in fact the MoD said in 2023 it was working to acquire four Gulfstreams with options for one more. After the acquisition was finalized in December 2024, it was reported that the decision about the option has been delayed until the necessary financial coverage is granted.
The G650ERs are being acquired in MEDEVAC configuration, in line with their assigned emergency medical transport role, comprehensive of military navigation systems and the provisions for secure communications and self-protection systems. An integrated logistic support package is also being acquired and, interestingly, the service is also evaluating the transfer of the Falcons to Gulfstream as they are dismissed.
Requirements
The document released in 2023 says the Gulfstream G650ER fully satisfies all the requirements of the Italian Air Force, prevailing on all other solutions. Specifically, the requirements were:
- High cruise speed (Mach 0.90), long range (in excess of 13,000 km), maximum control of the cabin environment (cabin pressure at FL500 equivalent at less than 1,500 m) for best survival chances of the patients;
- Capable of transporting 19 passengers on oceanic routes (from Italy to USA West coast, South America, Japan, Australia) without stops;
- Full worldwide logistics support in every continent for corrective maintenance after failures;
- Modern, efficient engines with low environmental impact;
- Fleet commonality with other assets already in service (specifically the G550) to reduce training needs for pilots and maintainers, better logistics and lower operational costs.
Final G650s
The contract, valued € 330 million, explicitly mentioned the production of four aircraft, so they will be newly built. Interestingly, the G650ERs for the Italian Air Force are among the last to be produced, as Gulfstream Aerospace has announced in February the rollout of the last aircraft built.
The G650ER and the “regular” G650 have become the “industry standard” and recently surpassed 1 million flight hours, said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream.
“Since their inception, the G650 and G650ER have become the industry standard that all others have followed, recently surpassing a staggering 1m flight hours,” said Burns. “Beyond the programme’s innumerable accolades and more than 125 world speed records, innovations introduced with the form, fit and precision manufacturing process of the G650 laid the groundwork for today’s next generation Gulfstream fleet.”
Thanks again to Luca Di Blasi for the photo he sent us and make sure to follow him on Instagram for more!
