Two months after receiving its first aircraft, the Royal Air Force (RAF) declared full-service capability on its newly acquired fleet of Envoy IV transport aircraft on August 1.
Known as the Envoy IV in RAF service, the two Dassault Falcon 900LXs are believed to have been purchased for a cost of £80m and have replaced the British Aerospace (BAe) 146 fleet which retired from service in March this year.
The Envoy IV fleet has a Command Support Air Transport role of high-ranking personnel, VIPs, and mission-critical freight to and from operational areas similar to its predecessor. The type performed its first operational flight on June 7.
Powered by three Honeywell TFE731-60 turbofan engines, the French-built business jet can fly eight passengers 4,600 miles without refuelling and has a maximum payload of 14 passengers.
Purchased from civilian company, Centreline AV Ltd, the aircraft, current registrations G-ZABH and G-ZAHS will operate from RAF Northolt just outside of London via military crew from No 32 (The Royal) Squadron and civilian crew from Centreline AV ltd. This mixed personnel model is to continue until 2024, then the two aircraft will undergo military modifications and will be solely operated by No 32 Squadron.
Air Cdre Martin, Assistant Chief of Staff for Air Mobility with the RAF, said: “Establishing the new Command Support Air Transport service with Envoy IV is the culmination of months of hard work on the part of the RAF, Defence Equipment & Support and our industry partners, Centreline AV Ltd. The aircraft will be working similarly hard to deliver UK influence and diplomacy around the world in the coming months and years."
