The Dassault WU-25C+ is a conversion variant of the HU-25C+ Guardian, which itself is a variant of the Falcon 20, that focuses on high-altitude weather reconnaissance. The WU-25C+ is equipped with multiple weather radars that are within the “bulges” of the airframe. Some of the radars include the AN/APN-83 Doppler navigational radar by Bendix Corporation, the AN/APS-133 color weather radar (seen in the nose “bulge”), the AN/APS-142 weather and velocity radar (seen in the bottom “bulge”) by Bendix Corporation, the AN/AMS-26 360 degree, 3D S-Band pulse-Doppler radar by the Askarian Technological Corporation (The prized radar, located in the top “bulge”).

In 2018, the Baresten Isles wanted an aircraft that can preform weather reconnaissance since the nation was literally (cough Barbados cough) the eastern most nation in the Caribenora and had to put up with hurricanes every summer, plus the data would be valuable to the National Hurricane Center. The Barestenians looked at a few candidates. They first looked at the Gulfstream IV-SP, the same aircraft NOARA uses, but was deemed costly, even for the unusually rich Baresten Isles, for conversion. They then looked at the Cessna WC-35D, a weather reconnaissance version of the UC-35D used by the Central Caribenora Air Force on behalf of the Central Caribenora Department of Weather and Atmospheric Sciences (CCDWAS) but was too small. Then, the head of the Baresten Isles Navy Hydrographic Center, Eric Toni, contacted the Delta Federation Royal Coast Guard to see if they can get their hands on some retired HU-25C+ Guardians. One purchase, 3 corporations, and a pandemic later, the WU-25C+ was put into operation

Manufacture: Dassault

Design Group: Dassault, Askarian Technological Corporation (AT), Bendix Corporation, General Electric

Years of Development: 2019

Year of Rollout: 2021

“Armament”: Dropsondes

Status: Operational, In production

Crew: 2x pilots, 1x engineer 6x meteorologists

Maximum Cruise Ceiling: 42,000 ft

Price: $174,000,000 USD (Conversion cost)

Number Built: 2

Main Operators: Baresten Isles Navy Hydrographic Center (2), Delta Federation Aviation and Space Administration (1 in consideration to replace their HU-25C), Rijie Meteorological Agency (2 in consideration)

Livery: Baresten Isles Navy Hydrographic Center standard semi low visibility livery

Squadron: Hydrographic Air Operations