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The U.S. Army on June 7 issued a new solicitation for a fleet of aircraft that will fly its future high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission, ahead of an expected award for the lead systems integrator for the project.
The service plans to fly a fleet of 14 medium-large commercial jets carrying multi-intelligence payloads for its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program. The service has long expected to use Bombardier Global 6500s for the fleet, having already ordered one of the jets with an option for two more, for initial prototypes. While the new request for information is likely meeting the requirement to survey the market, it does indicate a willingness to look at other airframes.
The jets need to fly at a medium-high altitude at high airspeed, and be able to support wing hardpoints, belly canoe and radome. Only new aircraft will be considered.
The request for information (RFI) says the platform needs to operate between 41,000-51,000 ft. above mean sea level or above after an integration of 6,500 lb. of mission equipment. There needs to be a minimum of 14,000 lb. of payload while maintaining 12 hr. or more of unrefueled flight endurance. It must fly at sustained transit speeds equal to or greater than 450 kt. (517.8 mph) true airspeed.
The new aircraft must be in production through 2030.
A key requirement is that the aircraft must not use composite materials for the fuselage and empennage skin, though limited use of composite materials for nose cones, tail cones, pylons, fairings and radomes is permissible. The Global 6500 uses aluminum alloys for the fuselage.
The Army is expected to select the lead systems integrator for HADES this month, with Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) competing against a team of L3Harris, Leidos and MAG Aerospace. Both SNC and a team of MAG and L3 are building prototypes for a predecessor to HADES, called the Army Theater-Level High Altitude Expeditionary Next Aircraft (Athena). Both the teams are using Global 6500s for the prototypes.
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