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Sierra Nevada Corporation has taken a significant step to accelerate the United States Army’s next-generation airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability, purchasing a fourth Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft.
The platform serves as the central part of the US Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program, with the fourth aircraft acquired in late 2025 to become the first non-prototype jet in the HADES fleet and reflects a broader push by the Pentagon to encourage industry to invest private capital to speed up capability delivery and reduce program risk.
While HADES is based on the Bombardier Global 6500 business jet, the program’s underlying philosophy closely mirrors Australia’s MC-55A Peregrine, which is built on the Gulfstream G550 airframe.
Josh Walsh, vice president of programs at Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), said, “HADES is more than an aircraft; it is a program built on urgency, discipline and mission focus. By investing early and executing ahead of schedule, our teams are reducing risk, accelerating capability delivery and ensuring the Army receives a proven, operationally relevant A-ISR solution when it matters most. This is what disciplined program execution in service of the warfighter looks like.”
Both programs reflect a broader allied shift towards leveraging proven commercial business jets as the foundation for complex, high-altitude ISR and electronic warfare missions, allowing governments to focus investment on mission systems rather than airframe development.
Australia’s MC-55A was approved in 2019 under Project AIR 555 Phase 1, with four aircraft ordered at a cost of approximately $2.46 billion.
The aircraft are being modified and integrated by L3Harris Technologies under a US foreign military sales arrangement and are intended to replace the Royal Australian Air Force’s retired AP-3C Orion electronic intelligence capability.
Like HADES, the Peregrine is designed around modular, open systems architecture, enabling sensors, processors and communications suites to be upgraded over time as threats evolve.
The MC-55A will provide the Australian Defence Force with long-range, high-endurance airborne electronic intelligence, communications intelligence and support to joint and coalition operations, integrating closely with platforms such as the F-35A Lightning II, E-7A Wedgetail and EA-18G Growler.
SNC’s decision to self-fund an additional HADES aircraft has been publicly welcomed by US Army leadership as an example of industry “leaning forward” to support urgent capability needs.
Army officials have argued that early private investment reduces supply-chain risk and accelerates the delivery of operationally relevant systems, particularly in contested and information-dense environments.
The HADES program itself builds on lessons from the Army’s earlier ATHENA high-altitude ISR aircraft, with data from those experimental platforms informing the design of the current fleet.
Tim Owings, executive vice president at SNC said, “These investments are more than just technologies – they reflect SNC’s alignment with the Army’s vision and unwavering commitment to modernisation.”
The use of a commercially available jet allows the Army, much like Australia, to concentrate resources on integrating highly specialised mission systems rather than resolving basic airworthiness challenges.
Australia’s MC-55A program has also experienced schedule pressure, largely due to the complexity of integrating advanced electronic warfare and intelligence systems and the certification requirements associated with extensive airframe modification. Test aircraft have been conducting flight trials in the United States, with initial deliveries now expected in the mid-2020s.
For defence planners, the convergence between HADES and Peregrine underscores a shared allied assessment: future conflicts will place a premium on persistent, survivable airborne ISR platforms capable of operating at long range and integrating seamlessly across air, land, maritime, space and cyber domains.
Owings added, “Leaning forward is essential for staying ahead of emerging threats, and we’re proud to support the Army’s pivot to next-generation systems with HADES leading the way in battlefield superiority. Across programs, we now have seven jets in our facility undergoing modernisation for global A-ISR missions.”
As both programs progress, they highlight a broader trend in allied capability development, speed, modularity and close industry partnership which are increasingly seen as decisive advantages.
In that context, the US Army’s willingness to embrace private investment in HADES reinforces the strategic logic underpinning Australia’s MC-55A Peregrine, positioning both nations to field adaptable, high-end intelligence capabilities in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific and global security environment.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
