The U.S. Army has awarded prime contractor MAG Aerospace and team partner L3Harris Technologies a contract to deliver two enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. Based on the Bombardier Global 6500 airframe, the aircraft will support the Army Theater-level, High-altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne ISR-Radar (Athena-R) program.

This effort is primarily a technology demonstration for a future high-altitude radar/ISR platform to support and enhance the Army’s ability to conduct long-range precision fires. A parallel Athena-S program is concerned with a passive detection system. The long-term program is known as the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (Hades), which is likely to combine active and passive sensors in a single platform. Fielding of this yet-to-be-defined system is planned for later in the decade.

In addition to its demonstration role, Athena-R is also seen as an operational bridge between current ISR systems and the future Hades. The Army intends to employ the aircraft operationally on a contractor-owned, contractor-operated basis.

The program also drew proposals from Sierra Nevada Corp. with its Global 6500-based Rapcon-X, and Leidos with the development of its Artemis, a modified Bombardier Challenger 650. Both Artemis and an L3Harris-modified, Global 6500-based ISR platform known as Ares have been flying contractor-owned, contractor-operated missions for the Army in the European and Pacific theaters, respectively.