Aircraft
L3Harris Flies ARES Surveillance Aircraft Demonstrator
The ARES demonsatrator will help the U.S. Army decide on how best to replace its fleet of aging RC-12 Guardrail aircraft.
The ARES employs the Global 6500 airframe that, wlong with the similar 6000, has been chosen as the platform for a range of special-mission aircraft. (Photo: L3Harris)
The ARES employs the Global 6500 airframe that, wlong with the similar 6000, has been chosen as the platform for a range of special-mission aircraft. (Photo: L3Harris)

L3Harris Technologies has competed the first flight of its Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System (ARES) platform. The aircraft—a heavily modified Bombardier Global 6500—undertook its maiden voyage from the company’s facility at Waco, Texas, where it has been rapidly outfitted with a surveillance mission system. The Pentagon gave the go-ahead for the program in November 2020.

“L3Harris is helping the U.S. Army rapidly expand its ISR capabilities with ARES,” said Luke Savoie, President, Aviation Services for L3Harris. “Our design, fabrication, and integration team turned a green airframe into an initial single sensor-capable platform with new sensing technology in six months.”