Leidos and L3Harris Technologies have partnered to modify two Bombardier Global 6500 business jets and pitch them for the US Army Theater Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne – Signals Intelligence (ATHENA-S) program.
ATHENA-S seeks enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms equipped with advanced radar, electronic, and communications capabilities.
The systems are required to have greater payloads, operating altitudes, range, and endurance to close the gap between the service’s medium and high-altitude ISR fleets.
The resulting aircraft will support missions in the US European Command area of responsibility.
“The Leidos-L3Harris team focuses each of our companies’ extensive and diverse talents to achieve mission success with ATHENA-S,” Leidos Senior Vice President Tim Freeman stated.
“With our combined integration, investment, engineering and design expertise, we look forward to producing a highly-configurable platform with more ISR capabilities to create an operational picture of the battlefield.”
“The Leidos-L3Harris team is excited to deliver a decisive advantage for the U.S. and our allies.”
Leidos and L3Harris in Other US Army ISR Projects
Currently, Leidos operates two special mission aircraft (LSMA) for the US Army’s Airborne Reconnaissance Targeting and Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence Systems (ARTEMIS) program in support of the US European Command.
LSMAs are spy planes with deep-sensing electronics intelligence technology to maintain simultaneous threat analysis and long-range precision fires.
Meanwhile, L3Harris operates a Bombardier Global Series jet for the army’s Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System (ARES) program supporting US Indo-Pacific Command missions.
The company is also working on a separate program seeking an electronic and communications intelligence prototype for the army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program.