This private jet is spying for the US military

From the outside he sees white A private jet Like hundreds of other aircraft of this type Bombardier 650 Outside. The machines are mostly used as private planes and they land and take off at many airports around the world.

However, the interior design has little in common with the luxurious interior of a private jet. Because it’s stuffed Server racks and electronics And the Computerswith dozens antennas Attached to the underside of the plane.

The plane, called the Artemis, is not used for business trips but for espionage in the US Army service. It must be of a height of up to 12,200 metres Intercept and decrypt hostile communications.

Bombardier’s spy planes have been adapted by the Virginia-based defense technology company Leidos Defense Group.

The plane is used as part of High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) U.S. military. Sooner or later, such aircraft will replace the US Army’s turboprops, which were used in Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, to track road bombs or rebels.

“Tentacles from Space to Slime”

The military wants layered space-to-mud sensor capabilities, says vice president of Leidos Defense Group, Mike ChagnonAnd the Quoting Defense One: Planes like Artemis are responsible for the air.

In addition to Leidos, the L3Harris weapons group is also working on similar aircraft operating under the name Ares.

Hundreds of missions flown

Leidos has so far converted two Bomardiers into spy planes. The second device, Artemis II, was opened only in December. The first, Artemis I, already has over 370 missions in all 3,200 flying hours success. It was first used in November 2021 to spy on Russian forces stationed on the Ukrainian border.

On average, the plane is 6 days a week each 9 to 10 hours in the air Leidos Chagnon vice president told Defense One. “We collect huge amounts of data.”

rented by the hour

The aircraft will remain owned by the Leidos Group and will be operated and maintained by its employees. The defense company said the US military is getting access to the plane’s sensors via satellite and essentially paying Leidos an hourly fee.

Leidos already has 2 bigger ones Bombardier Global 6500 Planes purchased to be converted into spy planes as well. Before they can be used on behalf of the US military, they have yet to win a competition against spy planes from companies L3 Harris and MAG Aerospace Team.