Drawn by reliability, affordability and performance, militaries are increasingly turning to business jets to fill niche roles within their aviation fleets, including intelligence collection and electronic warfare.
The trend includes services in both the USA and Europe, with business aviation manufacturers including Bombardier and Gulfstream already benefiting.
The US Army is in the midst of what one service official recently described as the most-significant transformation of aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in the army’s history – with business jets at its core.
Under a slew of Greek mythology-themed programmes, the army is phasing out its ageing fleet of ISR turboprops, which include derivatives of the Beechcraft King Air 350 and De Havilland Canada Dash 7 and Dash 8.
These are being replaced by the Bombardier Global 6500, 14 of which are being modified with sophisticated long-range intelligence collection equipment by Sierra Nevada Corporation under a $1 billion programme known as Hades.
Sierra Nevada’s vice-president of programmes Josh Walsh says the company’s Hades proposal was “based upon rapid configurability, so the aircraft is swiftly adaptable to specific recon missions based on tactical and operational needs”.
L3Harris in September filed a formal appeal of the army’s decision to award the Hades contract to rival Sierra Nevada, pausing work on the programme.
A related programme called Athena will see a smaller number of contractor-owned and -operated Global 6500s perform ISR missions for the army until the Hades jets are ready for duty.
Other examples are in active service with the army, including the Bombardier Challenger 650-based Artemis aircraft operated by defence contractor Leidos on behalf of the US Army.
Bombardier is leaning into the military’s growing interest, with chief executive Eric Martel touting the airframer’s “know-how” in the defence aviation segment.
“The defence sector is a key pillar of Bombardier’s future, as our ultra-reliable and high-performing platforms are best suited to house and operate complex mission equipment,” Martel says.
Rival Gulfstream is similarly hyping its military credentials, claiming more than 200 special-mission aircraft delivered to more than 40 countries.
“We are managing an unprecedented number of projects,” says Leda Chong, vice-president of worldwide government sales at Gulfstream.
In particular, Chong touts the airframer’s special-missions facilities dedicated to modifying and tailoring aircraft to meet requirements of government customers.
Defence projects underway at Gulfstream include a programme to provide the US Air Force (USAF) with a business jet to replace the service’s fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130-based electronic-warfare aircraft. The USAF is phasing out the turboprops for a more capable jet-based platform, amid a growing focus on electronic warfare.
The L3Harris EA-37B Compass Call is a heavily modified Gulfstream G550, fitted with a powerful suite of BAE Systems electronics capable of disrupting enemy communications, radars, navigation systems and air defence networks.
Deliveries of the new jets are ongoing, with a planned fleet of 10 Compass Calls.
Italy also appears keen on the type, with Rome having received a critical export approval for the EA-37B’s sensitive electronics package earlier this month. That acquisition is believed to cover equipment for two Compass Calls, with the aircraft eventually joining Rome’s existing fleet of militarised business jets.
The Italian air force already operates two G550s in an airborne-early-warning role, the first of which entered service in 2016.
Despite such programmes, not all defence-focused business jet offerings have fared as well.
Bombardier unsuccessfully attempted to secure a contract in its home country of Canada in 2023, bidding to provide the Royal Canadian Air Force with maritime patrol aircraft based on the Global 6500. The push ultimately failed, with Ottawa instead selecting the 737-based Boeing P-8A Poseidon.
The headquarters of the NATO military alliance also opted for a 737 derivative – the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail – for its initial airborne early warning and control modernisation initiative, passing over offerings from Saab and L3Harris.
Still, business jets continue to hold appeal for Western militaries, offering an alternative to costly new aircraft development. They can also fly farther, faster and higher than legacy turboprops, and are smaller than commercial airliners.
“We can select a variety of airframes depending on what that capability set needs to be,” says Jason Lambert, president of ISR at L3Harris, which describes itself as the world leader in business jet “missionisation”.
Lambert says modified business jets are cost-effective to acquire, operate and maintain, noting the US Army’s new L3Harris-Bombardier Ares jet has been operating in the Indo-Pacific region with a 99% availability rate.
Proof of capability improvements can be seen in the fleet size of the new business-jet-based platforms.
The USAF plans to field 10 G550-based EA-37Bs, compared to 14 of the older EC-130H/J turboprops. The US Army’s planned fleet of 14 Global 6500-based Hades jets is a dramatic reduction from its 70-odd King Air-based MC/RC-12 ISR aircraft.
With governments around the world looking to expand their arsenals on a budget, business jet solutions are likely to remain an attractive military option for years.
