N849GA

This airframe, registered as N849GA, is a 2013 Gulfstream G550 with serial number 5429. Originally built by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, the aircraft was later reconfigured into an E-550A/Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) platform; its current owner is Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), a government operator based in Italy. The airframe retains U.S. registration while serving in a specialized mission role, and the original executive cabin was removed and reconfigured during the CAEW conversion. Administrative history includes the transition from a factory executive-configured Gulfstream G550 to a mission-modified asset outfitted by IAI.

This specific G550 airframe carries a CAEW mission fit with multiple operator consoles and mission equipment; the original executive cabin was removed or extensively reconfigured to accommodate mission systems. Avionics comprise the factory Gulfstream PlaneView suite augmented by mission avionics and operator consoles installed by IAI for the CAEW role, yielding a mixed commercial and military avionics architecture. Typical mission profiles for this platform emphasize long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance sorties enabled by the aircraft's 6,750 nm ferry range and 51,000 ft ceiling, operating from Italian Air Force bases while maintaining U.S. registration. Maintenance considerations for this airframe focus on integration points between the Gulfstream systems and IAI-installed mission equipment, as well as support for the Rolls-Royce BR710 powerplants in their cited variants.

The Gulfstream G550 family occupies a high-performance business and special-mission niche characterized by long range, high cruise speed, and high-altitude capability, exemplified by this converted E-550A CAEW. Competing platforms in the special-mission market include other long-range business-jet conversions and purpose-built AEW/ISR aircraft; buyers and military operators prize the G550 airframe for its available payload and endurance. Resale and maintenance considerations for converted airframes like N849GA center on the complexity of mission-system integration, specialized avionics support, and lifecycle support for the BR710 engines in their cited variants.