Bombardier has confirmed an agreement between its Learjet Inc subsidiary and the US Air Force ‘in support of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) programme’.
The Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract provides the USAF with flexible ordering and includes an immediate firm order for one Global 6000 aircraft, with as many as five additional similar aircraft. The contract, which includes engineering and modification work, represents a potential total value of close to $465 million.
Since 2007, Bombardier has already delivered four Global aircraft to the USAF for the BACN programme, an airborne relay that extends communication ranges, bridges between radio frequencies and ‘translates’ among incompatible communications systems. BACN aircraft are known in the USAF as the E-11A.
Bombardier teams in the USA, who continue to provide in-service support and upgrades to the current BACN fleet, are ready to begin work on the next BACN aircraft. Engineers and technicians at Bombardier Specialised Aircraft’s Centre of Excellence in Wichita, Kansas, will modify the Global platform to support the communications equipment required for the mission, while teams in Tucson will provide the aircraft’s interior and eventually undertake painting of the exterior.
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran said: “I am pleased to see that the Air Force is following through on its purchase of another E-11A aircraft to support battlefield communications for forward-deployed forces.
“These aircraft are engineered and outfitted for the Air Force right here in Wichita, and this purchase is the latest example of Kansans supporting our national security operations back at home.”
Bombardier Specialised Aircraft designs, develops and delivers a range of capabilities to operators
around the world for a wide variety of missions, including surveillance and reconnaissance, medical evacuations and VIP transport.
Solutions range from turn-key packages comprising the complete design, building, testing and certification activity, through to specialist engineering support and technical oversight of customer-specific projects.