News Release
INFRARED COUNTERMEASURE SYSTEM SOON-TO-BE AVAILABLE ON SEVEN GULFSTREAM AIRCRAFT
FAA to Certify Three Additional Gulfstream Aircraft for Missile-Jamming System
SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 11, 2003 - Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), will offer the BAE System AN/ALQ-204 Matador Infrared Countermeasure system (IRCM) beginning June 1 as an option on the large-cabin, ultra-long range Gulfstream 550 (G550) and Gulfstream G500 (G500) business jet aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration certification that will authorize these installations also will authorize the passenger and aircraft protection system to be retrofitted onto the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream V (GV) business jet aircraft.
Developed to protect aircraft from ground- and air-launched heat-seeking missiles, the IRCM has been available as an option on both the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G400 and the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G300 aircraft since they were introduced at last year's National Business Aviation Association's Annual Meeting and Convention. First certified by the FAA for use on the Gulfstream IV (GIV) in 2000, the IRCM continues to be available as a retrofit for the GIV-series aircraft - the GIV and the Gulfstream IV-SP (GIV-SP) - the best-selling large-cabin, long- range business jet aircraft in history.
"During design, development and production of our aircraft, the safety of each and every passenger and crewmember is the utmost priority in every decision we make," said Bill Boisture, Gulfstream president. "By offering the IRCM, we've further enhanced our customers' level of personal safety by providing an effective response to accidental or intentional missile assaults."
To date, the FAA-certified Matador has been installed on one GIV and six GIV-SP aircraft. Two more systems have been backordered for two large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G400 business jet aircraft, which currently are in production and will be delivered later this year.
"The IRCM was designed to safeguard the lives of passengers and crews and to protect valuable aircraft," said Dobie Gilfillan, IRCM program manager for Gulfstream. "As terrorism continues to threaten certain regions of the world, business jet owners and operators - including military, corporations, charter companies, and private owners - are looking for the most reliable systems to ensure their passengers' safety. Interest in the Matador IRCM has never been greater than it is today."
Twenty-three countries, including the United States, currently use Gulfstream aircraft to transport heads of state. Gulfstream aircraft performance and reliability also allow them to serve in a variety of roles, including electronic intelligence gathering, multi-purpose transport, aerial surveillance, medical evacuation and weather research.
Introduced in 2002, the Gulfstream G550 is fully equipped and includes the comprehensive and industry-exclusive Gulfstream 5-year Maintenance and Training Package, the PlaneView™ cockpit, Head-Up display and the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision (EVS) System. With the longest range in its class, the G550 can fly 18 passengers up to 6,750 nautical miles nonstop at a cruising speed of .885 Mach and at an altitude of up to 51,000 feet. Owners of the G550 can choose from multiple cabin layouts and several customer-preferred option packages. Customers can also choose to customize the interior to best meet their individual needs.
Also introduced in 2002, the Gulfstream G500 features the PlaneView™ cockpit and offers the Gulfstream EVS and Head-Up display as added features. The large-cabin, ultra-long-range aircraft can fly 18 passengers nonstop 5,800 nautical miles at a cruising speed of .885 Mach and to an altitude of up to 51,000 feet. Customers can choose from six Premium Interiors™ as well as from a variety of additional options.
Like the G550, the Gulfstream G400 includes the industry-exclusive Gulfstream 5-Year Maintenance and Training Package and a competitive warranty program. The large-cabin, long-range G400 can fly 16 passengers 4,100 nautical miles nonstop at a cruising speed of up to .88 Mach and to an altitude of up to 45,000 feet. Owners of the Gulfstream G400 can choose from multiple cabin layouts and several customer-preferred option packages. Customization packages are also available on the G400.
The Gulfstream G300 offers exceptional value to customers who don't require long-range capability in their aircraft. The large-cabin, mid-range G300 can fly 16 passengers 3,600 nautical miles nonstop at a cruising speed of .88 Mach and at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet. Customers can choose among a range of optimized interior packages and stand-alone enhancements.
Introduced in 1992, the Gulfstream V set the standard for ultra-long-range business travel. The holder of more than 80 world records, the GV seats up to 19 passengers and offers one of the longest ranges in its class - up to 6,500 nautical miles. At speeds of up to .885 Mach and a cruising altitude of up to 51,000 feet, the GV became the World Standard™ upon it entry into service in 1997. The same year, the aircraft won the prestigious Collier Trophy. The GV fleet includes 168 aircraft, which have logged more than 210,000 flight hours and more than 98,000 takeoffs and landings.
Introduced in 1985, the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream IV, and its successor the
Gulfstream IV-SP, holds more than 70 world records, including both eastbound and westbound around-the-world speed records. For more than a quarter of a century, the GIV has met the met the air travel needs for corporations, governments, private individuals and air charter companies around the world. The GIV and its later version, the GIV-SP, can fly up to 4,220 nautical miles at Mach .88 and at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet. The 500-aircraft fleet has logged more than 1.8 million flight hours and 930,000 take-off and landings.
NOTE TO EDITOR
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world's most technologically advanced business jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 1,300 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the mid-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G100®; the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G300®; the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G400®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500® and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales®. The company employs more than 7,800 people at eight major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 54,000 people worldwide and had 2002 revenues of $13.8 billion. The company has leading market positions in land and amphibious combat systems, mission-critical information systems and technologies, shipbuilding and marine systems, and business aviation. More information about the company can be found on the World Wide Web at www.generaldynamics.com.
