The U.S. Army is replacing its Cold War-era propeller reconnaissance fleet with aircraft based on business jets. Under a new contract, the Army will purchase one Global 6500 jet from Bombardier, with the option to purchase two more for development prototypes.
Modern militaries rely heavily on aerial reconnaissance to carry out their missions, but the U.S. Army is stuck in an all-too-familiar dilemma. While other technology platforms have advanced by leaps and bounds, the Army still relies on the Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail, an antenna-packed twin-engine propeller aircraft that has been in service since 1983.
As part of the High Accuracy Detection and Detection System (HADES) program, the Army wants to replace Guardrail with more advanced equipment, and for the first time is looking to use business jets as the new platform.
Previous testing has shown that with a business jet, the Army will have an aircraft that can fly higher, faster, have greater range and last longer, with greater crew comfort and a quieter cabin, compared to a "guardrail" that can only stay airborne for about six hours. This means there is no need to secure large landing zones near potential hot spots. Instead, the Army only needs one forward location to deploy it in an area.
In addition, the new airborne HADES prototype will be equipped with advanced sensors and electronics for depth-aware operations to support multi-domain missions that are increasingly common on today's networked battlefields. New electronic devices can be customized for specific areas and tasks. They also cover a wider bandwidth, allowing commanders to eavesdrop on each other's communications.
According to the Army, the first Air Technology Demonstrator (ATD) will be delivered in October under a fixed-price contract with Bombardier Defense. These devices will provide the Army with platform capabilities, sensor integration, sensor capabilities and data distribution, and provide a better understanding of the potential of the new reconnaissance aircraft.
If all goes according to plan, the first active aircraft will be deployed in 2027, and the fleet will eventually consist of 14 aircraft distributed around the world.
Colonel Joe S. Minor, Army fixed-wing aircraft program manager, said: "HADES will bring greater range, speed, endurance and airborne ISR depth to the Army. Compared with traditional turboprop platforms, HADES will operate at a higher altitude. Higher flying altitude means the ability to sense target areas farther and more persistently. For the Army in 2030, depth perception is the Army's number one combat priority."