The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MOD) accepted the delivery of Gulfstream G650ER (serial V-117) at Eindhoven Air Base on March 15.

The business jet – which was acquired by Jet Aviation on behalf of the Dutch MOD in July 2022 – was built in 2015 and has flown more than 2000 flying hours in total. The G650ER has been procured to replace the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF’s) ageing Gulfstream IV in the VIP transport role, a mission it has flown since it entered operational service in April 1996. This aircraft is operated by No 334 Squadron, which will likely absorb the G650ER once it formally enters RNLAF service this summer.

Having been delivered to the Dutch MOD on March 15, the G650ER remained at Eindhoven Air Base for air/ground crew training until the end of March. The aircraft was then flown to AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland, which will equip the new G650ER with relevant self-protection systems before it is returned to the Netherlands in the second half of July, when it is expected to enter operational RNLAF service.

The Dutch MOD has been seeking to replace the ageing Gulfstream IV since 2019, when it outlined plans to replace the type in the VIP transport role. Having chosen the G650ER to serve as the type’s successor in RNLAF, the Dutch MOD noted that the platform was selected because it boasts “a longer range than the current aircraft and can carry more passengers”, as well as being “suitable for installing a certified self-protection system.”