First Global 6500 delivered to US Army’s HADES programme
November 26, 2024
Bombardier Defense has delivered the first Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft in support of the US Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) programme, with the first prototype airframe to form the basis of an ongoing effort to update the service’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. However, no work on the airframe will be performed until an ongoing dispute between the prime contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and rival L3Harris is resolved.
Designed to provide US Army and joint force commanders with heightened situational understanding through accurate and effective deep sensing abilities, the HADES project aims to modernise the Army’s ageing turboprop fleet. In 2023, Bombardier was awarded the contract to deliver the first prototype HADES aircraft (with options for two more) – with the original HADES contract award totalling $93.5 million. The 12-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a ceiling of $991.3 million, and is expected to cover the supply of 14 aircraft to replace the Army’s ISR-configured MC/RC-12 King Airs and Dash 8-based EO-5Cs.
Drawing on the speed, endurance-at-range and altitude capabilities of the Global 6500, “this best-in-class jet is the future-proofed solution to provide the US Army with the capabilities needed to face current and future threats,” explained vice president of Bombardier Defense Steve Patrick.
With a maximum endurance of up to 18 hours and a high speed cruise of up to Mach 0.88, “fixed-wing platforms like Bombardier’s Global 6500 aircraft, which flies faster, longer and higher than legacy airborne sensor platforms, offer a significant advantage towards enhancing performance of aerial ISR missions,” added Bombardier – a notable improvement on the Army’s existing King Air-based MC/RC-12 turboprops.
Andrew Evans, director, HQDA G-2 ISR Task Force added: “We remain excited about the opportunities we can unlock by pairing the performance, versatility and reliability of the Global 6500 with modern payloads aligned to priority intelligence requirements. HADES is the centre piece of the Army’s collection strategy, and the Global 6500 is the system that brings that strategy to life”.
The HADES programme will see up to 14 6500s converted to an ISR configuration, building on insights gained from adjacent programmes. These include the Airborne Reconnaissance and Targeting Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence System (ARTEMIS) project (under which Leidos converted a Bombardier Challenger 650) and the Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System (ARES) project (with L3Harris Converting a Bombardier Global 6000). SNC also received a service contract for the conversion of two Global 6500-based under High Altitude Expeditionary Next IRS-Sensor (Athena-S) initiative, while MAG Air and L3Harris converted another pair of Global 6500s under the Athena-R (Radar) programme. SNC has been selected by Finland to provide the Athena-adjacent RAPCON-X aircraft as its new border surveillance and reconnaissance solution.
Although the US Army selected the Sierra Nevada Corporation (in August 2024) to be the prime contractor for the HADES project (using a configuration based on Athena-S/RAPCON-X), competitor L3Harris appealed the decision; filing a protest with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in September. The GAO has until 26 December to deliver its verdict.
