Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has purchased a new Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft at its own expense to expedite the US Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program.
HADES is an ongoing effort to deploy a modern aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) fleet based on a proven commercial aircraft, allowing optimized speed and range compared to older spy planes.
The company noted that the early investment moves the initiative ahead of schedule, reduces program risk, mitigates potential supply chain disruptions, advances corresponding certifications, and accelerates delivery timelines.
The latest Global 6500, counting as the program’s fourth aircraft, is intended to become the first non-prototype jet in the HADES fleet and will be used for speed flight trials.
SNC will modify the system at its center in Hagerstown, Maryland, which consists of a workforce sourced from Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“The Secretary of the Army has challenged the industrial base to take risks, invest private capital and innovate on behalf of the nation,” said Andrew Evans, director of strategy and transformation at the US Army G-2 Intelligence Office.
“SNC has unequivocally answered that call. SNC’s willingness to ‘lean-forward’ on the HADES program sets a new standard for how industry can partner with the Army to deliver next-generation capabilities at the pace of need.”
First Spy Plane by 2026
The US Army named SNC in 2024 as the lead integrator for HADES under a 12-year contract valued at up to $1 billion.
The company is now working on the first three Global 6500 aircraft for conversion into HADES prototypes, with the first expected to be commissioned later this year.
Those aircraft are designed with a modular open systems approach, enabling safer integrations of future technologies and rapid development of a production-level platform.
“HADES is more than an aircraft; it is a program built on urgency, discipline and mission focus,” said Josh Walsh, vice president of programs at SNC.
