AIRCRAFT OF THE US NAVY
A C-20G of VR-51 ‘Windjammers’ at MCAS
Kaneohe Bay. USMC/Cpl Jesus Sepulveda TorresC-20G Gulfstream IV,
C-37A/B Gulfstream V/550
The US Navy operates variants of
the Gulfstream IV, V and 650 under
the designations C-20G, C-37A and
C-37B. It initially took delivery of two
Gulfstream IIIs in 1987, and during
1994 the rst of four Gulfstream IVs
arrived. The C-20Ds, which had been
operated by VR-1 at JB Andrews-
NAF Washington, Maryland, were
used strictly as VIP transports,
and were retired in October 2016.
Powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay
Mk611-8 turbofans the C-20Gs
can be con gured to carry cargo,
passengers or a combination of the
two. Cargo operations were made
possible by the installation of a
hydraulically operated cargo door
on the starboard side of the fuselage
and a ball roller cargo oor that
facilitates loading and unloading.
The aircraft are crewed by two
pilots, a crew chief, ight attendant
and/or loadmaster depending on
the mission.
Single examples of the C-20G
are operated by one of the Naval
Reserve’s Executive Transport
Detachments (ETD) at NAS Sigonella,
Italy and eet logistic support
squadron VR-51 at MCAS Kaneohe
Bay, Hawaii. The latter unit’s second
C-20G was retired to Davis-Monthan
AFB, Arizona, in February 2018,
in preparation for its transition
to the C-40A Clipper. Another
C-20G is assigned to air test and
evaluation squadron VX-30 at Naval
Base Ventura County Point Mugu,
California.
The navy accepted a single
C-37A in 2002. It is assigned to the
ETD at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam,
Hawaii. The rst of three C-37Bs
entered service with VR-1 in 2005
and two additional aircraft weredelivered in 2006. Whereas the
C-37A is powered by two Rolls
Royce BR 710A1-10 turbofans and
has a maximum range of 5,800nm
(10,742km), the C-37B features a
pair of BR700-710C4-11s and can
y up to 6,750nm (12,501km). Both
models are equipped with separate
executive and sta compartments
providing accommodation for up
to 14 personnel. They are own by
a crew of four that includes a crew
chief and a ight attendant.
Referred to as service secretary-
controlled aircraft/executive airlift
(SSCA/EA) platforms, the C-37A/Bs
are designated by the secretaries
of the military departments for
transporting their senior service
o cials. The SSCA/ EA aircraft that
are stationed outside of CONUS
are designated to support senior
leader travel.
The navy ordered an additional
G550 in March 2016 that will be
modi ed to support testing duties
under the designation NC-37B. It will
replace the NP-3D range support
aircraft with VX-30 at Point Mugu.
Based on the G550 airborne early
warning airframe, the jet will be
equipped with a digitally steerable,
phased array telemetry system as
well as operator interfaces and a
command destruct system that
will allow the crew to terminate
the ight of air-to-air, surface-to-air,
ballistic and hypersonic missiles
and weapons during testing over
the ranges.
The Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division recently awarded
Raytheon Missile Systems an
$80-million contract to develop the
systems. The contractor expects to
deliver the NC-37B by 2021.
Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
CFLSW ETD Paci c JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii C-37A CFLSW
CFLSW ETD Sigonella NAS Sigonella, Italy C-20G CFLSW
VR-1 ‘Star Lifters’ JB Andrews-NAF Washington, MarylandC-37B CFLSW JK
VR-51 ‘Wind Jammers’ MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii C-20G CFLSW RG
VX-30 ‘Bloodhounds’ NB Ventura County Point Mugu, California C-20G NAWCWD BHC-26A, C-26D, EC/RC-26D Metroliner
In 1998, the US Navy acquired
seven Fairchild C-26Bs that had
previously been operated by
the Air National Guard. After
receiving cockpit upgrades,
the Metroliners entered
service under the designation
C-26D in July 1999. Four of
them are based in Italy where
they are assigned to the
operational support airlift
role. The others support the
Paci c Missile Range Facility in
Barking Sands, Hawaii, where
they are tasked with range
surveillance, electronic missile
range clearance, electronic
communications/surveillance
and logistical support duties.
Modi cations provided two
of the aircraft with a Litton AN/
APS-504(V)5 range surveillance
aircraft (RANSAC) radar and
other telemetry and test
instrumentation equipment
that was ‘cross-decked’ from
retired Beechcraft RC-12F
range clearance aircraft. The
third received RANSAC
electromagnetic compatibility(EC) and safety of ight systems.
The two models, which entered
service in 2001, are respectively
carried on the inventory under
the designations RC-26D
and EC-26D.
Elbit Systems of America’s
M7 Aerospace subsidiary is
modifying a C-26A for the US
Naval Test Pilot School under
a $7.5-million contract. The
modi cations incorporate an
intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) suite that
includes a Leonardo Vixen 500E
active electronically scanned
array (AESA) radar, Wescam
MX-15 HD electro-optical/
infra-red sensor turret, video
recording systems and operator
consoles. The systems will
permit the Metroliner to serve as
a new airborne systems training
and research support (ASTARS)
aircraft. When delivered in
fall 2018 it will replace a Saab
340A ASTARS II aircraft that is
operated by CALSPAN under
contract to the test pilot school
at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
AOD Barking Sands PMRF Airport, Hawaii RC/EC-26D PMRF
AOD NAS Sigonella, Italy C-26D C6F
AOD NSA Capodichino Airport, Naples, Italy C-26D C6F
USNTPS NAS Patuxent River, Maryland C-26A ASTARS III NAWC-ADC-38A Courier
Known as the Courier, the
C-38A is based on the Israeli
Aircraft Industries/Galaxy
Aerospace Astra SPX (now
the Gulfstream G100). Two
examples were originally
acquired by the USAF for
the District of Columbia Air
National Guard in 1994 and
were transferred to the US
Navy in 2015. The Couriers,
which are powered by a pair
of Honeywell TFE-731-40Rturbofans, are operated by
VX-20 at NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland. Primarily used for
test and evaluation support as
chase aircraft for P-8A, E-2D,
MQ-4C, E-6B and C-130 testing
and as an airborne radar target,
the aircraft can carry up to nine
passengers when used in the
transport role. The Couriers are
own by two naval aviators and
have a maximum range of 2,897
miles (4,662km).
Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
VX-20 ‘Force’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland C-38A NAWCADUS NAVY AIR POWER 2018^6966-85 US Navy Review C.indd 69 01/06/2018 10:10