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Global 6500 N1098L | Centennial Airport, CO KAPA | January 2025 | the elusive AXLE10, one of a pair or Globals being operated for the US Army for its HADES program training, coming in for a quick stop and go

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

Earlier this month, a third Global 6500 started flying for the Army's ISR bizjet pilot training program. I'm unsure whether this is part of the initial contract or a very early start of the expanded contract, which mentioned that the contractor would start providing the new jets in late 2025.

submitted 10 days ago • 1 comment

Desert Dolphins: Unwrapping the UAE's spy bizjets A new post about the UAE Air Force's fleet of ISR and AEW&C bizjets. Details remain limited, but photos and leaked documents reveal interesting details, including a link to an unexpected country. Full post: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

A new United States spy plane reportedly arrived in treaty ally South Korea on Thursday as the Pentagon doubles up reconnaissance flights against China and North Korea. www.newsweek.com/us-news-army...

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

N291SR, one of the first ATHENA jets, landed at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. This (highly likely) marks the start of the first-ever ATHENA deployment. Of the four ISR bizjets, two are planned to be deployed in South Korea while the other two will be deployed to the European theatre.

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

This is definitely new: both ARTEMIS jets orbiting near the Serbia-Kosovo border region. It's the first simultaneous mission, the first for the ARTEMIS II jet, and the first time the ARTEMIS jet is orbiting in this pattern (usually a smaller orbit above Romania only).

submitted 23 days ago • 2 comments

Does anyone have more information or photos of the UAE's ISR bizjets? Non-English websites are also welcome! As always, you will stay anonymous if you send something in DMs/email and I won't share anything without explicit approval. Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/55198...

submitted 35 days ago • 1 comment

The first MC-55A Peregrine for the RAAF arrives at L3 Harris Greenville for test flight 2 in its completed, fully modified state.

submitted 39 days ago • 3 comments

BAE Systems-owned Sabreliner, N65ML as FLIGHTSYSTEMS02 last week at Mojave with an interesting nose radome and antenna rack

submitted 47 days ago • 3 comments

The U.S. Army posted a RFI to integrate and test launched effects on the hardpoints of the modified Global 6500 bizjet. The capability “will be demonstrated in the ~ Fiscal Year 26 timeframe”, but I’m not sure whether this will be with an ATHENA or a HADES jet. sam.gov/opp/ac26487c...

submitted 54 days ago • 4 comments

Brand new EA-37B 20-2344 " FLITE09 " returns during golden hour. #aviation @freddyb-aviation.bsky.social @ameliairheart.bsky.social @bizjetsofwar.bsky.social @blueskiesaviation.bsky.social

submitted 56 days ago • 5 comments

A US Air Force E-11A, equipped with Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, takes off during Exercise Yellow Sands within Central Command area of responsibility on Dec. 19. www.dvidshub.net/news/488301/...

submitted 61 days ago • 0 comments

Lassai aviation’s bombardier global 6500 arriving into KFOE as “axle10” This jet is used to train US Army pilots for the ATHENA/HADES program

submitted 83 days ago • 2 comments

Just a heads up: I’ll be travelling for the next ~2 months so I will be less active for a while. That said, always feel free to @ me or send me a message/email for anything about ISR bizjets! I’ll keep an eye on the news and continue posting when I can. 📸: @srplanespotter.bsky.social

submitted 106 days ago • 1 comment

Probably ok to give an exclusive here, the first MC-55A Peregrine, N540GA, undergoing ground tests a few months back. This is probably the first " clear " look at its livery and some systems. They're making good progress with them out East.

submitted 108 days ago • 4 comments

Yesterday, the ISR Challenger 650 bizjet flew a racetrack pattern off the coast of Kenya. Somewhat similar tracks were seen above the coastal region of Somalia before (see tweet below), but it's the first time I've seen it above the Kenyan coast. N9191 // #ACBA95

submitted 111 days ago • 0 comments

Looks like SNC's ATHENA jet conducted a taxi test earlier this week. The modified Global 6500 ISR bizjet is expected to begin flight tests soon as part of the U.S. Army's ATHENA program. (Right image is the track projected on Google Earth for clarity) N650SN // #A88E57

submitted 114 days ago • 0 comments

Not mine but too good not to share: a stunning photo of N100XV returning to Kadena AB, Japan last year. Shared and taken by @bee_beesuperclub on Twitter.

submitted 114 days ago • 0 comments

The new photogrammetry bizjet returned to the United States after a two-month deployment in the Philippines, including the strategic Luzon Strait region. While still unconfirmed, the modified Gulfstream V is likely flying for the U.S. military and/or intelligence agencies. N36GV // #A40A9D

submitted 117 days ago • 0 comments

A rare track off the coast of Kaliningrad for the ARTEMIS jet today. Though this mission profile has been seen a handful of times over the past few years, seeing it at night and together with an RC-135 Rivet Joint makes it particularly rare. BRIO68 // N488CR // #A60693

submitted 119 days ago • 0 comments

E-11A BACN 22-9047 is making the trip to NAS Sigonella from Robins AFB with callsign BLKWLF21. This is the first time this E-11A, the seventh in the fleet, is leaving the US after being delivered to the USAF in October 2023. #ADSB #AE77A4

submitted 120 days ago • 0 comments

A modified Challenger 650, likely operated by Metrea, has flown missions above Somalia over the past ~8 weeks. The bizjet (N9191) is equipped with a radar system, SIGINT antennas, and an EO/IR sensor, and orbited over regions of known counterterror operations against Al-Shabaab and IS-Somalia.

submitted 131 days ago • 0 comments

Eyes on Baekdu: unwrapping South Korea’s ISR bizjets A new post with an overview of South Korea's ISR bizjets, covering their capabilities, the history of the programs, and the ongoing modernisation amid growing threats from North Korea. Learn more: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 136 days ago • 0 comments

Italy's electronic warfare bizjet program advances to the final stages A new post about the new EA-37B and ISR bizjet programs as well as an overview of the already operational E-550A CAEW fleet, which will double in size in the coming years. open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 144 days ago • 0 comments

New mapping bizjet deploys to the Philippines A new post about a modified Gulfstream V with photogrammetry and/or LiDAR sensors that is likely the successor of another bizjet that flew mapping missions above Africa for the U.S. military. Full post: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 158 days ago • 0 comments

U.S. Army to Expand ISR Pilot Training with New Bizjets A new post about the U.S. Army seeking a contractor for three more Bombardier Global 6500 jets to train its ISR bizjet pilots as well as an overview of the ongoing training program. Learn more: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 226 days ago • 0 comments

Finland selects Sierra Nevada Corporation for new surveillance bizjets A new Substack post with an overview of the Finnish Border Guard's MVX program and more information about the new procurement. Read the full post here: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 247 days ago • 0 comments

Yesterday, Saab announced that it signed a contract today for a third GlobalEye jet for the Swedish Air Force. The Finnish border guard officially selected SNC to deliver two Challenger 650 surveillance jets yesterday as well.

submitted 248 days ago • 0 comments

HADES will get the ASARS-2B radar from cancelled U-2 and RQ-4 upgrade programs. ''A Pentagon budget reprogramming document (...) confirms the inclusion of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System-2B (ASARS-2B) in the HADES sensor suite.'' www.twz.com/news-feature...

submitted 283 days ago • 0 comments

A high-resolution of the HADES concept was just shared by Bombardier yesterday. The modified Global 6500 bizjets of the U.S. Army will be equipped with SIGINT and radar sensors.

submitted 317 days ago • 0 comments

Saab's GlobalEye jet visits France amid rumoured acquisition plans Earlier this month, Saab sent one of their GlobalEye AEW&C jets to an air base in France amid rumours of a potential acquisition to replace the French E-3F AWACS aircraft. Learn more: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 324 days ago • 0 comments

The first ATHENA jet breaks cover: an overview of the latest U.S. Army spy jets A new post about the restructured program, what can be expected in the coming months, and of course the photos of N591SR: the first ATHENA jet. Read full post: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 325 days ago • 0 comments

The first photo of the ATHENA jet! Shared by the director of the U.S. Army's ISR Task Force, it shows the modified Global 6500 with a SIGINT sensor suite and a large fairing for the radar sensor system. A total of 4 ATHENA jets will bridge between the ARTEMIS and ARES platforms and the HADES jets.

submitted 366 days ago • 0 comments

Yesterday, another contractor-owned, contractor-operated Challenger 604 jet was tracked near Kadena AB, Japan. The ISR jet, suspected to fly for USSOCOM, arrived in October 2023 and has been tracked flying out of Djibouti and above Iraq before. N100XV // #A006D5

submitted 367 days ago • 0 comments

Earlier today, a Metrea Challenger 604 was tracked above the Philipines (🇵🇭) for a ~7-hour mission above the South China Sea. The COCO jet is equipped with a radome, an optical sensor system, and SIGINT equipment. I suspect the jet is flying for USSOCOM. N7700 // #AA6B5F

submitted 367 days ago • 0 comments

The ARTEMIS I jet orbited above Bosnia and Herzegovina (🇧🇦) for the first time earlier today. This basically confirms the previous 15+ flights above western Romania (🇷🇴) were operational flights to conduct ISR on targets in Serbia (🇷🇸) and/or surrounding areas. BRIO68 // N488CR // #A60693

submitted 374 days ago • 0 comments

The future of airborne intelligence: a 5-minute guide to spy bizjets A quick overview of the key capabilities, missions, and benefits of the ‘bizjets of war’ to understand why the deployment of these jets is only set to surge in the coming years. Full post: open.substack.com/pub/bizjetso...

submitted 387 days ago • 0 comments

Account update: Aerospace Intelligence has been renamed to Bizjets of War to reflect my growing interest and focus on business jets modified for ISR (and/or other military) missions. As always, feel free to contact me if you have questions, suggestions or information!

submitted 401 days ago • 0 comments

Rising Sun, Rising Capabilities: a guide to Japan's electronic warfare aircraft The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) operates two one-of-a-kind aircraft and is replacing its ageing fleet of modified YS-11 aircraft with the new Kawasaki RC-2. Read more: open.substack.com/pub/aerospac...

submitted 448 days ago • 1 comment

Azerbaijan is massing Soviet-era aircraft to bait Armenian air defences Satellite imagery from SkyFi of Azerbaijan's Yevlakh air base shows a growing fleet of An-2 aircraft, which will likely be used as bait drones in a war with Armenia. A new Substack post: open.substack.com/pub/aerospac...

submitted 464 days ago • 0 comments

For the past week I've been tracking mysterious tracks that appear south of Crete, fly over Gaza for 3 hours, and then fly back. I suspected these to be MQ-9A Reapers. Thanks to excellent work by @rileymellen.bsky.social & Eric Schmidtt, we have some more details. www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/w...

submitted 487 days ago • 0 comments

I've updated my latest article to include new information about ATHENA-S and the HADES platform. A few months ago, I wrote about how the U.S. Army is using contractor-owned, contractor-operated surveillance jets to test new technologies and operating concepts. open.substack.com/pub/aerospac...

submitted 499 days ago • 1 comment

The air base near Agadez, Niger (🇳🇪) was recently reactivated after the coup. Satellite imagery doesn't show drone(-related) activity, but three US DoD/DoS (🇺🇸) contractor planes are visible. Berry Aviation: N92FE, N418AV Academy Resources: N549AR 📸: @skyfi.bsky.social

submitted 524 days ago • 1 comment