Leidos and L3Harris Technologies are collaborating on the U.S. Army’s Theater Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Next Airborne – Signal Intelligence (ATHENA-S) proposal. The partnership will modify two Bombardier Global 6500s as part of the project.
Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader who solves tough challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets.
L3Harris Technologies provides advanced defense and commercial technologies in the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains.
The companies will work together to modify and deliver two Bombardier Global 6500 jets with radar, electronic, communications intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft with capabilities tailored to ATHENA-S requirements.
The aircraft is intended to support U.S. Army missions in the U.S. European Command’s area of responsibility and is designed to bridge the gap between the Army’s fleet of medium and high-altitude ISR aircraft.
The Army is modernizing its aerial reconnaissance capabilities by phasing out outdated aircraft and transitioning to more advanced sensors, high-altitude flights, and deep-range reconnaissance. One of the instruments considered in this endeavour is ATHENA, which will come in two different versions, “S” and “R”.
ATHENA-S aims to fill a gap in the military’s medium- and high-altitude ISR aircraft fleet. It can fly higher, cover longer distances, carry larger payloads, and has advanced sensor technology to collect more comprehensive data.
“The Leidos-L3Harris team focuses each of our companies’ extensive and diverse talents to achieve mission success with ATHENA-S,” said Tim Freeman, Leidos senior vice president and Airborne Solutions Operations Manager. “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 decision advantage for the U.S. and our allies.”
Leidos operates two Leidos Special Mission Aircraft (LSMA) for the U.S. Army’s Airborne Reconnaissance Targeting and Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence System (ARTEMIS) program supporting EUCOM. The LSMA provides deep-sensing ELINT, enabling threat analysis and long-range precision fire delivery.
L3Harris now operates Bombardier Global Series jets as part of the Army’s Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System (ARES) program, supporting the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. L3Harris is also working on Phase 2 of the U.S. Army’s Multi-Domain Sensing System program to develop, manufacture, integrate, and demonstrate prototype electronic and communications intelligence sensors for the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program.
