Sierra Nevada wins $991M contract for intel-gathering bizjets

The U.S. Army has awarded Sierra Nevada Corporation a contract to serve as the lead system integrator for the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES), a groundbreaking aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) program.

The U.S. Army has revealed that the contract, part of a 12-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity agreement, includes an initial award of $93.5 million, with a total ceiling of $991.3 million.

The HADES program represents a significant leap in the Army’s ISR capabilities, promising substantial improvements in speed, range, payload, and endurance for aerial reconnaissance missions. The initiative is a key element in the Army’s modernization efforts, particularly as it aims to enhance its deep sensing and intelligence-gathering operations.

“This is a great day for the continuing effort to modernize the Army’s aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection strategy,” said Doug Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. He emphasized the importance of disciplined execution in delivering these transformational capabilities, which are critical to the Army’s next-generation ISR aircraft.

Lieutenant General Anthony Hale, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, underscored the strategic significance of HADES, describing it as the centerpiece of the Army’s ISR transformation. “HADES allows the Army to fly higher, faster, and farther, which directly impacts our ability to see and sense deeper, delivering an organic capability in line with the Secretary of the Army’s number-one operational imperative – deep sensing,” Hale said.

HADES is set to replace the aging fleet of turboprop aircraft, including the Guardrail, Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System, and Airborne Reconnaissance Low aircraft, all of which have been in service for over 40 years. The program will introduce the Army’s first large-cabin business jets designed specifically for aerial ISR missions, offering greater coverage, faster deployment, and enhanced operational capabilities.

Brigadier General David Phillips, Program Executive Officer, PEO Aviation, praised the HADES team and its partners for their efforts in bringing this new capability to fruition. “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,” Phillips stated.

As the U.S. Army prepares for future challenges, the HADES program is poised to play a crucial role in ensuring the Army’s readiness and superiority on the battlefield by 2030.