New Envoys

These aircraft conduct secure VIP transport missions for government and military officials and visiting dignitaries throughout Australia and the region, and across the world.

The current fleet replaced Dassault Falcon 900s and Boeing 707s in the VIP role, with these aircraft subsequently being sold on or re-tasked to the aerial refuelling role respectively. The BBJs entered service in June and September 2002, and were initially leased through Hawker Pacific for a period of 13 years. This lease has since been extended by two years to September 2017.

The Challenger 604s entered service in July, September and October 2002 on a similar arrangement through Hawker Pacific. All five aircraft are on the Commonwealth register but are maintained through an agreement with Northrop Grumman Australia, which acquired the former Qantas Defence Services (QDS) earlier this year.

The BBJs and Challengers are often augmented by Beech King Air B350s of 32SQN and 38SQN for VIP missions to remote or unprepared airstrips, to cover 604 maintenance, or for surge periods such as a federal election or other special events.

The BBJ has proven to be suitable for the regional and high capacity role, although it is somewhat range and payload limited out of its ‘hotand high’ Canberra base, and often requires a tech stop before leaving Australia’s shores and one or two more if travelling further afield. The BBJ’s cabin is also known to be somewhat austere, dated and poorly configured by modern standards, and the aircraft’s communications suite is not sufficiently secure and robust.

The BBJs have also experienced increased support workloads and unservicabilities in recent years, and having just two aircraft provides little redundancy in case of unscheduled maintenance. The 2013/14 Defence Annual Report states the BBJ fleet was budgeted to fly 1,600 hours in the 2012/13 financial year, but achieved only 1,376 hours or 86 per cent of budget primarily due to shorter sector tasking.

The 604s have the advantage of near-transcontinental range, good field performance, and a relatively favourable Aircraft Classification Number – Pavement Classification Number (ACN-PCN) rating necessary for operations to many of Australia’s smaller airfields. But sources claim the 604s have also suffered from poor availability and have failed to meet their budgeted flying hours in recent years. The 2013/14 Defence Annual Report

One or two new KC‑30s may be configured with a VIP forward cabin for overseas SPA missions.

states the three aircraft fleet achieved 2,261 hours, or 93 per cent of its budgeted 2,403 hours in 2012/13, a shortfall which again was attributed to shorter sector tasking.

Project Status & Timings

It is unclear if the SPA fleet replacement will be conducted as an AIR project through the DMO, or as a direct tender process.

Currently, a Group Captain within Air Force Headquarters (AFHQ) is studying a range of options which will be provided to the RAAF and government, and which will inform the eventual replacement program structure.

A request to Defence from Australian Aviation for information on the replacement program yielded only a basic response with no new information: “Defence is investigating options for VIP transport services. No formal industry engagement process has yet commenced. ” Suggestions by Defence Minister Senator Johnston in August that the government was considering the acquisition of at least one additional Airbus KC-30A for the RAAF as part of the 2015 Defence White Paper process has led many to speculate that one or two of these aircraft will be configured with a VIP forward cabin for overseas SPA missions.

Sources have confirmed there is substantial government interest in this option, and that industry teamings are already being established to offer various configurations and support models.

They say a new KC-30A would likely retain its air-to-air refuelling and substantial air logistics support (ALS) capabilities, with the only real capability compromise coming in its overall passenger capacity.

Perhaps coincidentally, Airbus recently launched a VIP cabin option for the A330. Dubbed the ACJ330‘Summit’, the option may provide clues as to what a KC-30A VIP cabin could look like. With the likely incorporation of separate sleeping, ensuite and meeting spaces, larger galleys, crew rest and other amenities at the front, a VIP-configured KC-30A could possibly be configured with a number of modern airline-style business or first-class seats in the mid-cabin, and about 80 economy or premium economy seats for media and staff in the rear. By comparison, KC-30As are currently capable of carrying about 270 passengers in a basic two-class layout.

It is likely the RAAF would insist that a VIP-configured KC-30A would retain its ARBS boom and wingtip hose and drogue refuelling pods. These systems do not dramatically affect the aerodynamic performance in the cruise, it is impractical to remove these systems for passenger-only missions, and they would add substantial mission flexibility.

If ordered in the improved 242-tonne configuration currently in development, this would enable the new KC-30A and its passengers to get anywhere on earth in onestop, as well as improving its fuel offload capability in the tanker role, although this would also make it somewhat of an ‘orphan’ in a larger fleet. The first 242-tonne configured A330 is currently in final assembly at Airbus in Toulouse, and is due to enter service by mid-2015.

If an additional KC-30A is ordered and configured with a VIP cabin, it is then likely any future tender to replace the current SPA fleet will call for just a single new type to replace the Challenger 604 as well as to take on most of the shorter range or capacity-mandated missions currently performed by the BBJ, as well as perform some of the longer and thinner regional missions. Thus it is likely a more capable aircraft than the current Challenger 604 would be required to fulfil these.

Industry sources suggest Bombardier, Gulfstream, Dassault and perhaps Embraer have products which may be suitable. Bombardier offers the proven Global range as well as the newly-launched update of the Challenger series, the 650, while Gulfstream has the G650 and the newly released G500/G600, Dassault has the improved Falcon 900LX and new 7X, and Embraer the Legacy and the larger (E190 airliner-based) Lineage 1000.

The Global, the G650 and the Lineage 1000 are considered ‘large-cabin’ jets and have more than acceptable payload/range performance. But accordingly, they also have ACN‑PCN limitations which may make them unsuitable for many of the domestic and regional missions currently performed by the Challenger 604s.

While it is possible the King Air B350s of 32/38SQN could be called upon to perform some of this role, this is not their primary mission. It is therefore likely a smaller jet with better ACN-PCN attributes such as the Challenger 650, the Falcons, the smaller Gulfstreams, or the Legacy would be favoured.

The SPA replacement will likely be considered on the periphery of the 2015 Defence White Paper, and therefore substantially more information as to the RAAF’s and government’s intentions should be known by mid next year.