The Bottom Line Upfront
The US Army is set to choose the team that will integrate sensors onto its next long-range, high-speed spy plane, the Bombardier Global 6500, this summer. The selection is a major step in the Army's efforts to overhaul its existing fixed-wing aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The Breakdown
- The Army's decision to retire its entire ISR fleet and replace it with the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) highlights the need for more advanced and capable assets to carry out long-range missions in complex environments.
- The Army plans to retire approximately 70 aircraft from its ISR fleet as it brings on the HADES system, which will provide rapid deployment and deep-sensing capabilities.
- The Bombardier Global 6500 has been chosen as the airframe for the spy plane, with Bombardier awarded a contract for one aircraft and an option to buy two more.
- Competing teams, including L3Harris Technologies, MAG Aerospace, and Leidos, as well as Sierra Nevada Corp, are vying to integrate sensors onto the Global 6500.
- The Army has been assessing ISR fixed-wing prototypes for over five years, using high-speed jets to inform the development of the HADES program.
- Prototypes such as Artemis and Ares have already flown over 1,000 sorties, demonstrating their capabilities and collecting valuable data.
- The Army plans to field 14 HADES aircraft by 2035, with the first two prototypes expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2024.
