IDEX: Bombardier’s very special mission jets

Over the last decade or so, the Bombardier Global Express – both the 6000 and more recently the 6500 series – have become the customer’s platform of choice when it comes to special mission aircraft.

Steve Patrick, Bombardier Defense’s vice president specialised mission aircraft, has a lot going on right now with the Global business jets. Image: BillyPix

Steve Patrick, Bombardier Defense’s vice president specialised mission aircraft, explained here at IDEX, why the two business jets have established such a niche in the market.

“The range, performance and reliability are great attributes, but it comes with a lot of extra electrical power. We've got four generators on the aircraft [powered by the two Rolls Royce BR710A2-20 engines]. Other aircraft in this class only have two. So it's got excess electric capability, enough space for an ample payload and ample carbon volume.

“We deliver the platform with the airframe modifications and the mission integrators work with MROs to fit the systems.”

The UAE Air Force and Air Defence operates five Global 6000 GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platforms, delivered between 2020-2024.

Elsewhere, the US Army has up to 14 Global 6500s on order under the HADES (high accuracy detection and exploitation system) programme, the USAF has 10 Global 6000 E-11A BACN (battlefield airborne communications node) jets on contract with the ninth now on the production line.

Germany (three Global 6000s for SIGINT) and Turkey (four Global 6000s for stand-off jamming) have platforms on order that are being missionised.

While South Korea is looking at three options, two involve Bombardier Defense, the Saab GlobalEye and L3 Harris/Elta Global 6500 options. Morocco is also keen on a solution.

Patrick continued: “If you look at today's mission requirements, it has evolved from 30-40 years ago when it was all mainly European-based, and you could patrol the border of your adversary from a base relatively nearby.

“Now, if you look at Indo-China, you've got the Pacific Ocean, so you can't quite launch from right next door and perform your surveillance mission. You need an aircraft that has long range, can fly at high altitude giving you a longer physical loop distance, and a much larger surveillance footprint.

“As the threat has evolved, the requirements have moved on too, and high altitude business jets just tick a lot of boxes.”

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