HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The Sierra Nevada Corporation has won government/military contracts that will ensure a stable supply of work and associated high-wage jobs at Hagerstown Regional Airport for years to come, airport officials said.
Included in this is a $991.3 million contract with the United States Army to deliver a fleet of up to 14 additional ISR-capable jets made from the Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft platform. This project comes in addition to two Global 6500 aircraft already being developed under a separate $554 million contract, as announced in November 2023.
In addition, SNC also has been awarded a third, $170.0 million contract to prepare and outfit two Challenger 650 jets for the Border Guard of the European nation of Finland. Collectively, these announcements further bolster SNC’s position as a leading provider of aerospace and defense solutions and Hagerstown Regional’s role as an airport providing significant and beneficial impact to the local and state economies.
For more information, please read all three SNC press releases found below.
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SNC Wins $991.3M Contract to Deliver U.S. Army HADES Jets: SNC named Lead Systems Integrator to modernize aerial military intelligence
SPARKS, Nev. (Aug. 26, 2024) – SNC has been awarded a $991.3 million multi-year contract to deliver aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) jets to the U.S. Army. The award is in support of the Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program of record.
“We are so proud to help build the future of Army aerial ISR with a next-generation jet that can fly higher, faster and father for deep sensing in large-scale and multidomain operations,” said Fatih Ozmen, owner and CEO of SNC. “At SNC, we’re known for putting the customer first. We saw the shift in operational theaters coming and we worked from the beginning to understand the Army’s true needs to ensure SNC was always positioned to meet the capability and timeline requirements. We built the most flexible, most configurable software system in the industry to ensure that when the time comes, the Army’s most critical mission needs are met – and the ones after that, too. Today, I am proud to say that we have been officially trusted with meeting the mission.”
Using a government-furnished Bombardier Global 6500 jet, the HADES prototypes will be the first Army-owned, large-cabin business jets utilized as aerial ISR platforms. The primary purpose of the aircraft is to provide advanced, deep-sensing capabilities for multi-domain operations against peer and near-peer adversaries.
Many of SNC’s signature design and integration capabilities, to include AI/ML, are incorporated into the HADES system, empowering mission processing, exploitation and dissemination to more quickly facilitate all-domain awareness. SNC’s solution was designed using model-based systems engineering (MBSE), significantly reducing the time required to integrate new and different systems and capabilities when needed. It can be easily reconfigured for specific mission purposes without aircraft redesign, and SNC’s strong open architecture backbone approach maximizes capability and schedules.
Josh Walsh, SNC’s vice president of programs, explains, “SNC’s HADES solution is based upon rapid configurability so the aircraft is swiftly adaptable to specific recon missions based on tactical and operational needs. This integration will make the HADES jet rapidly deployable and provides transformational increases in speed, range, payload and endurance for Army aerial ISR collection capabilities.”
To prepare for the HADES program, the Army’s Theater-level, High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne–Signals Intelligence (ATHENA) project was used to collect platform and sensor performance data to inform future decisions. In 2023, SNC was selected to provide aerial ISR as-a-service for the ATHENA project, executing contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) capabilities including aircraft, logistics, pilot, flight and maintenance operations support.
“We are honored to continue our partnership with the Army to develop and deliver a modernized aerial ISR capability to the warfighter,” said Tim Owings, executive vice president of SNC’s MST business area. “By combining our hundreds of thousands of hours on GOCO and COCO solutions with the same digital design process and engineering techniques we successfully certified and applied to the ATHENA aircraft, SNC is fully prepared to provide the Army with both the technical and cost advantages it needs to succeed in the near-peer fight.”
With more than 60 years of experience in aircraft modification and integration, SNC’s expert engineering and maintenance teams will perform work on this contract from its facilities in Maryland. SNC will support the Army with aircraft modification, delivery and ongoing government-owned, contractor-operated (GOCO) services.
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SNC’s RAPCON-X™ Jet Selected for Finnish Border Guard’s MVX Fleet
SPARKS, Nev. (June 27, 2024) – SNC has been awarded a $170-million contract to deliver two RAPCON-X jets to the Finnish Border Guard as part of the “MVX” program. Currently in production, the RAPCON-X family of systems is SNC’s newest integrated aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (A-ISR) solution. For this program, SNC is using a RAPCON-X-configured Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft tailored to the Finnish Border Guard’s MVX specifications that provides a modernized and dramatically increased capability to the fixed-wing fleet.
“SNC is honored to be a trusted partner to the Finnish Border Guard at this critical time in Europe,” said Tim Owings, executive vice president of SNC’s Mission Solutions and Technologies business area. “The rapidly configurable nature of RAPCON-X increases interoperability across Finland’s national security infrastructure – as well as NATO – and sets the Finnish Border Guard up for mission success now and in the future.”
The Finnish Border Guard’s current fleet monitors borders and territorial waters, supports rescue efforts in maritime emergencies, identifies environmental emergencies at sea and supports clean-up efforts. The new, more efficient multi-purpose aircraft will significantly improve Finland’s border security and the monitoring of territorial integrity, particularly along the eastern border.
RAPCON-X offers high reliability, increased range, endurance, and an operational envelope that enhances survivability – adding significant improvements in operating time and area coverage. In its MVX configuration, RAPCON-X can conduct all legacy missions, while providing superior capability, interoperability, and upgradability for the next 30 years.
“RAPCON-X is uniquely suited for Finland’s immense maritime and border patrol challenges,” said Josh Walsh, vice president of programs. “We are humbled and honored to work alongside the Finnish Border Guard to bring this new capability to their forces. As a new NATO ally, Finland plays a vital role in European security. SNC is proud to enhance their efforts.”
The RAPCON-X aircraft solution is designed using model-based systems engineering (MBSE), creating the ability to rapidly engineer modifications, and utilizes an open architecture for mission systems that significantly reduces the time required to integrate new systems and add capabilities. This provides flexibility to facilitate seamless future upgrades over the life of the program.
The Finnish Border Guard held the MVX program contract signing June 27, 2024, in Helsinki, Finland. SNC will continue work on the RAPCON-X aircraft from its integration center in Hagerstown, Maryland, with aircraft delivery expected in 2026 and 2027.
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SNC Wins $554-Million Contract to Modernize U.S. Army’s A-ISR Jets with RAPCON-X™
SPARKS, Nev. (Nov. 14, 2023) – SNC has been awarded a multi-year, $554-million contract to deliver aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (A-ISR) jets in support of the Army’s Theater Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Aerial–Signals Intelligence (ATHENA-S) project. Currently in production, the RAPCON-X family of systems is the newest addition to SNC’s turnkey, A-ISR-as-a-service model for contractor-owned-contractor-operated (COCO) capabilities – including aircraft, pilot, flight and maintenance operations, and logistics support – that is deployable within just hours.
“We are proud to continue supporting the Army as a prime contractor with forward-thinking solutions that put the warfighter first,” said Tim Owings, executive vice president of SNC’s MST business area. “This award is the direct result of SNC’s commitment to putting ‘skin in the game’ and staying one step ahead by anticipating challenges and innovating solutions years in advance.”
The ATHENA-S project is a critical part of the Army’s “campaign of learning” to familiarize its aviation and intelligence branches with high-altitude sensing operations. It seeks to inform the Army’s aerial surveillance needs until the Army-operated High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program of record enters service later this decade.
SNC’s RAPCON-X solution is a fully shaped aircraft with a functional mission interior featuring workstations, a galley, lavatories and crew berthing quarters. It is designed using model-based systems engineering (MBSE), creating the ability to rapidly engineer modifications, and utilizes an open architecture for mission systems that significantly reduces the time required to integrate new systems and add capabilities.
To ensure readiness to meet the Army’s deadline, SNC took possession of two RAPCON-X Bombardier Global 6500 jets in 2022, positioning SNC to have both aircraft operational by Q3 2024. The aircraft have been undergoing engineering integration for more than 20 months through SNC’s internal investment channels.
“Our born-digital design process and engineering techniques place RAPCON-X among the most capable and rapidly configurable A-ISR platforms worldwide,” said Owings. “RAPCON-X is a system-of-systems that arrives ready to complete the mission, whenever and wherever the need is, quickly modifying as the battlespace evolves.”
Rapid configurability means the aircraft is swiftly adapted to specific recon missions by quickly switching out on-board equipment to match tactical needs. In its baseline configuration, RAPCON-X is able to collect and process signals intelligence, electro-optical reconnaissance, and ground moving-target signatures using a synthetic aperture radar. SNC will perform work on this contract from its aircraft integration facilities in Hagerstown, Maryland.
