The United States Department of State has officially approved a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) agreement valued at $404 million to Australia. This package is designated for the MC-55A Baseline 2 Upgrade program, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)'s fleet of modified Gulfstream G550 business jets, which are identified as the MC-55A Peregrine.
According to a notification from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Australia's request includes major and minor aircraft modifications, spare parts, consumables, repair services, as well as engineering, technical, and logistical support from the U.S. government and contractors, along with other related program elements.
Strategic Importance
In its notification to Congress, the DSCA affirmed that this sale supports the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States. The agency described Australia as "one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific." The DSCA added that Canberra's strategic location plays a pivotal role in ensuring peace and stability in the region, and that helping Australia sustain a capable self-defense force serves U.S. national interests.
This upgrade package is expected to bolster Australia's ability to maintain its MC-55A fleet, a critical asset for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. These aircraft also support U.S. and allied operations in the Indo-Pacific region.
"Australia will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces," the DSCA noted.
Details on the MC-55A Peregrine Aircraft
The prime contractor for the program will be L3Harris Technologies, headquartered in Greenville, Texas.
The MC-55A Peregrine is a specialized conversion of the Gulfstream G550 airframe, integrated with a custom sensor suite housed in a large, canoe-shaped fairing beneath the fuselage. This configuration required significant changes to the aircraft's outer mold line and a completely new airworthiness certification process.
Speaking to FlightGlobal at the Avalon Air Show earlier this year, Jason Lambert, president of ISR programs at L3Harris, described the Peregrine as a "first of its kind aircraft." He said that from an ISR perspective, "there is nothing else in the world that can match the MC-55." Canberra plans to operate four of these aircraft.
Challenges and Related Projects
The complex certification and integration work extended the program's timeline, causing the first delivery to be delayed from 2023 to 2025. Mr. Lambert explained that first-time development programs often face unforeseen challenges, which in this case stemmed from changes to the G550's flight parameters caused by the addition of the large ventral sensor housing. L3Harris received the necessary supplemental type certificate for the redesigned airframe from U.S. regulators in late 2024.
Mr. Lambert also disclosed that L3Harris is preparing a similar G550-based ISR aircraft for another FMS customer, though he declined to name the buyer or provide specifics. That platform will share the same outer mold line as Australia's MC-55A and carry a comparable mission package.
Beyond the Peregrine, L3Harris is also active in numerous other business jet conversion programs, including the U.S. Air Force's G550-based EA-37B electronic warfare aircraft and a family of surveillance aircraft for the U.S. Army built on the Bombardier Global 6500 platform.
