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Sierra Nevada Corporation has announced the successful first flight of its new RAPCON-X aircraft, a major development for the company’s rapidly reconfigurable aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (A-ISR) platform.
The flight, which took place at Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Hagerstown facility in the United States, is part of the US Army’s ATHENA (Army Theater Level High Altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne) ISR program.
The aircraft, based on the Bombardier Global 6500 jet, is designed to deliver high-altitude, long-endurance ISR capabilities, with rapid reconfigurability at its core.
“Today is a monumental day for SNC, our Hagerstown team and our customers,” said Tim Owings, executive vice president of SNC’s mission solutions and technologies division. “This jet represents a major shift in ISR operations, enabling agile mission planning and execution thanks to our investment and vision.”
RAPCON-X was developed using model-based systems engineering, significantly reducing integration timelines for new mission systems. The jet features a modular mission interior that can be quickly adapted to meet specific operational needs eliminating the need for costly airframe redesigns. SNC’s scalable design can also be applied to other platforms such as the Bombardier Challenger 650 and King Air 350ER.
The aircraft’s open-architecture approach and SNC’s TRAX mission software allow RAPCON-X to seamlessly connect with other battlefield assets. In its standard set-up, it can collect signals intelligence, electro-optical reconnaissance data, and track moving targets on the ground.
SNC’s RAPCON-X program team includes major industry partners Bombardier, ThinKom Solutions, and Leonardo USA. The aircraft’s first flight paves the way for upcoming testing under the US Army’s contractor-owned, contractor-operated ATHENA contract, with SNC providing full ISR services, including pilots, maintenance and logistics.
The US Army’s ATHENA program is designed to bridge current gaps in airborne intelligence by deploying advanced sensors that deliver real-time, actionable information. It also serves as a stopgap measure while the longer-term HADES program is still in development, ensuring continuous ISR coverage.
ATHENA is split into two key streams: ATHENA-R for radar-based ISR and ATHENA-S for signals intelligence. In 2023, the Army awarded contracts to L3Harris and MAG Aerospace for ATHENA-R, while SNC was selected to lead ATHENA-S.
