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The Army awarded SNC a contract in August to build its future high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance fleet.
The goal is to build something like a new Palmdale—but in the middle of Ohio.
Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) in October will cut the ribbon on the second building of a four-hangar complex on the north side of Dayton International Airport while breaking ground on the next two. The site is where work is beginning on the company’s largest project ever: creating the next U.S. Air Force “doomsday plane.”
- Survivable Airborne Operations Center renamed E-4C
- HADES award comes as prototypes are being built
Company officials say this complex, along with a large paint hangar, will draw in subcontractors on the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) program. With other new facilities such as Joby Aviation’s electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft manufacturing site nearby, the complex could be a new focal point for the industry as part of SNC’s Aviation Innovation and Technology Center (AITC)—following how the major primes have built critical programs in Palmdale, California.
“SNC’s investment in the AITC represents our commitment to the continued expansion of the defense industrial base, and of course, the reinvigoration of the birthplace of aviation,” the company says. “We are proud to be an integral part of the Dayton community and likewise honored to support growth and revitalization efforts alongside many other notable companies that have chosen to relocate to or grow in Dayton.”
SNC’s April win for the SAOC program was a major coup for the Nevada-based company, which nabbed the $13 billion Air Force contract to build four aircraft—now officially titled the E-4C—to replace the E-4B Nightwatch. The contract covers four of the aircraft, with a larger fleet possible.
The first baby blue former Korean Air Boeing 747-8I for the program is now in the first hangar at Dayton, where company officials are removing seats and other equipment in preparation for the SAOC work. In addition to strapping on scores of new antennae and cabling, this includes outfitting the aircraft for midair refueling.
SNC is teaming with Collins Aerospace, FSI Defense, GE Aerospace, Greenpoint Technologies, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and Rolls-Royce for the SAOC. The five 747-8Is from Korean Air are to be delivered within 18 months of the program’s April inception. The contract award had been expected in late winter but got caught up in a review of the Defense Department’s nuclear modernization spurred by a cost breach on the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM program.
“While the delay in the SAOC contract award was unfortunate, SNC used that time to prepare to execute rapidly once authorized to do so,” the company says. “This included negotiation to secure the commercial aircraft on a predictable schedule that supports the USAF’s program timeline.”
At the same time, Air Force leaders including Secretary Frank Kendall and acquisition head Andrew Hunter have lamented cost growth in the program based on outside price estimates. SNC says its proposed cost and schedule baseline includes early risk reduction to avoid later cost growth—since the company is buying a fleet of aircraft up front, there is considerable capital investment at the start.
As the SAOC work got underway, the company also notched its second-largest award—just four months after winning the Air Force program. Next, SNC will be tasked with integrating the U.S. Army’s upcoming fleet of high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jets.
“We have sort of thrived on this underdog role in terms of the entire David-versus-Goliath sort of scenarios,” says Tim Owings, SNC executive vice president of mission solutions and technologies. “However, as we’ve stepped up in class, we’ve continued to build capability and show that we can scale at pace. As we are continually being accepted as a big prime, you’ll see us go after bigger and bigger things.”
The award for the High-Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) is a 12-year, indefinite-delivery/-indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $991.3 million. The initial award is $93.5 million. SNC will be the lead systems integrator for HADES, installing sensors and other equipment on a fleet of government-provided Bombardier Global 6500s.
The Army has said it plans to fly a fleet of 14 aircraft, with one Global 6500 already ordered and an option for two more. The HADES aircraft will fly up to 51,000 ft., carrying 6,500 lb. of mission equipment for 12 hr. unrefueled. The payload will provide deep sensing and targeting information for the service’s long-range fires.
SNC beat a team of L3Harris Technologies, Leidos and MAG Aerospace for HADES. SNC and MAG had been selected to build four prototypes as part of the program, called the Army Theater-Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Aircraft (Athena). Joshua Walsh, SNC vice president of mission solutions and operations, saysproduction is wrapping up on the first of the company’s two Athena aircraft, which is expected to begin flight testing in October; the second is about one month behind. SNC plans to deploy the aircraft early next year to provide real-world intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as a contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) fleet.
The Army operates two other COCO prototype fleets that help set the overall requirements for HADES. Two Leidos-owned Airborne Reconnaissance and Targeting Multi-mission System aircraft are deployed to Europe, and the L3Harris-owned Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System is deployed to Japan.
SNC plans to hire 50-100 more personnel at its Hagerstown, Maryland, facility for HADES, Walsh says. The aircraft will use sensors the company produces at its headquarters in Sparks, Nevada, along with software from a location in North Carolina.
HADES and Athena aircraft will be about 85% common, with slight differences in sensors, says Tim Harper, SNC vice president of business development.
In addition to its work on HADES and Athena, SNC has been selected by the Finnish Border Guard to deliver two aircraft. The jets will be Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft tailored to Finland’s specifications, the company says. The global market is “wide open” for similar aircraft, Harper says, both through Foreign Military Sales and direct commercial sales.
SNC made a gamble on the Army’s plans, spending $280 million to buy and modify two Global 6500s ahead of the Athena and HADES competitions. Owings says that is an advantage of being privately owned—the company can move quickly and make bets early.
“Really, it’s driven by what’s important from a mission perspective,” he says. “If we clearly understand the direction of our customers, we’re more than willing to invest in those areas, and so that’s what we’ve been able to do.”
The trend of favoring smaller private companies has escalated within the Pentagon. Likely the largest headline this year so far for new awards has been the Air Force’s selection of startup Anduril and midtier General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. to build the first increment of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, besting major primes Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman (AW&ST May 6-19, p. 44).
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