German scientists took delivery Saturday of a high-altitude research jet which can be used to study the high atmosphere and climate change, dpa reported.
Gulfstream of Savannah, Georgia customized a 19-seat G 550 business jet for Germany so that it can reach an altitude of 15,500 metres to study air pollution.
This is not as high as the 1950s-designed US spy plane, the U-2, which can reach 21,000 metres, or the United States' SR-71, which reached 25,000 metres, but is high enough for science experiments.
The HALO (high altitude and long range) research aircraft is to be operated by DLR, Germany's aeronautics research agency, based at Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich. The plane's range of 8,000 kilometres means it can study distant and polar regions.