State Aircraft

For the purposes of EUR RVSM include Military, Customs, Police

In consideration of the physical inability (due to limitations in aircraft design) of adapting the large majority of military tactical aircraft to the RVSM MASPS, State aircraft are exempted from the requirement to be RVSM approved. However, States are requested to adapt their State aircraft for RVSM approval, to the extent possible, and especially those aircraft used for General Air Traffic (GAT). Nonetheless, certain types of State aircraft cannot feasibly be adapted to meet the RVSM MASPS. These aircraft will be permitted to operate as either Operational Air Traffic (OAT) or GAT within the EUR RVSM Airspace.

Within the European RVSM Airspace, non-RVSM approved State aircraft operating as GAT will be provided with a minimum vertical separation of 600 m (2000ft) from all other IFR aircraft. The number of non-RVSM approved State aircraft operating as GAT within the EUR RVSM Airspace is very small. However, the impact of such flights on controller workload is not to be underestimated, the controller having to selectively apply two distinct vertical separation minima (VSM) within the same volume of airspace.

Further information is provided in ICAO 'Manual on Implementation of 300 m (1000 ft.) Vertical Separation Minima Between FL290 & 410 inclusive.' (Doc 9574)