SAVANNAH, Ga. –The Gulfstream business jet Northrop Grumman [NOC] is offering for the Air Force’s Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) recapitalization program will be capable of aerial refueling, a Gulfstream official assured Wednesday.

Gulfstream Vice President of Government and Special Mission Sales Troy Miller said Wednesday though a Gulfstream jet has never refueled in the air, he believed it would be less of a problem than imagined.

“We’re not underestimating the challenges of air refueling…(but) frankly we consider air refueling to be less of a challenge on a Gulfstream platform than maybe on an airliner-like platform,” Miller told reporters at Gulfstream’s facility here.

Miller said this is because Gulfstream jets store fuel in their wings, as opposed to tanks, and because the fuel system is straight forward, which he said lends itself to aerial refueling. Northrop Grumman is offering its Gulfstream’s G550 aircraft, but the team can also provide the 650ER model if deemed necessary, according to Gulfstream spokesman Steve Cass.

The Gulfstream G550 aircraft. Photo: Gulfstream GD.
The Gulfstream G550 aircraft. Photo: Gulfstream GD.

Two common aerial refueling methods are “hose and drogue” and flying boom. The “hose and drogue” method employs a flexible hose that trails from the tanker aircraft. A drogue, or small windsock, at the end of the hose stabilizes it in flight and provides a funnel for the aircraft being refueled, which inserts a probe into the hose.

The boom refueling method uses a rigid, telescoping tube that an operator on the tanker aircraft extends and inserts into a receptacle on the aircraft being refueled. The boom method of refueling is considered to be faster than “hose and drogue.” The KC-46 aerial refueling tanker will use the flying boom method.

Cass said Wednesday the company has performed work with both boom and hose and drogue methods and will likely offer aircraft with the boom method. He said the Air Force has a requirement for boom method aerial refueling called the Universal Aerial Refueling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI). Cass said Gulfstream and Northrop Grumman have been performing work under both methods.

Two aircraft primes are leading teams in pursuing JSTARS. Northrop Grumman is serving as prime on a team with Gulfstream, a division of General Dynamics [GD], and L-3 Communications [LLL], with L-3 serving as systems integrator and aircraft modification specialist (Defense Daily, June 12).

Lockheed Martin [LMT] is acting as lead systems integrator with Raytheon [RTN] and Bombardier. Raytheon brings its experience with ground surveillance; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems; mission systems integration and JSTARS communications. Bombardier will provide its business jet platform, according to a Lockheed Martin statement.