Swiss defence procurement agency Armasuisse has unveiled its new Bombardier Global 7500 following its delivery in late 2024.
Configured for government and military personnel transport and for emergency evacuation missions, the modified VIP jet will enter service in the coming weeks.
Delivery of the jet took place in Montreal, Canada on 17 December. Swiss air force and Armasuisse pilots ferried it to Payerne airfield, arriving on 19 December after a 7h flight, the agency says.
Replacing the alpine nation’s current 2002-built Cessna Citation Excel, the Global 7500 will be based at Payerne for two years before its planned relocation to Bern-Belp airport.
Bombardier Defense says the GE Aerospace Passport-powered aircraft is the first Global 7500 to be used for a head of state transport role.
A self-protection system is to be installed on the twinjet in the second half of 2025.
Bombardier has stated an ambition to grow revenue from its defence unit in the coming years. The division takes green business jets and modifies them at its facility in Wichita, Kansas for military roles such as intelligence-gathering and surveillance.
Last year, the Canadian airframer delivered the first Global 6500 for the US Army’s HADES programme and is working on a new Global 6000-based Pegasus signals intelligence platform for the German air force.
