The US Army has chosen Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) as the lead system integrator for its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, HADES, an upcoming aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform.
The initial contract award stands at $93.5 million, with a potential total value of up to $991.3 million over a 12-year period.
HADES is expected to significantly enhance the US Army’s ISR capabilities by providing increased speed, range, payload and endurance. This system will enable the US Army to conduct aerial ISR missions over larger geographical areas with greater efficiency, substantially boosting deployment capabilities.
“HADES will allow our formations to see and sense farther and more persistently, providing an asymmetric advantage over our adversaries in large-scale operations and multidomain operations,” Brigadier General David C. Phillips, Program Executive Officer Aviation, said in a statement.
Initiated in 2020, the program will replace the aging fleet of ISR platforms based on Beechcraft King Air and De Havilland Canada Dash-8 turboprop aircraft.
SNC is set to integrate sensors onboard the Bombardier Global 6500 business jet. The US Army placed an order for one aircraft in January 2024, with options to purchase two additional aircraft over a three-year period.
These new aircraft will be the first Army-owned large-cabin business jets utilized for ISR missions.
On June 28, 2024, the Finnish Border Guard awarded SNC a $170 million contract to deliver two RAPCON-X jets to enhance its aerial surveillance capabilities.
