# Army Advances HADES Flight Testing

The U.S. Army’s HADES Prototype 1 completed its first flight on September 11, 2026, moving the Global 6500-based high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft into developmental flight testing and mission-system integration. The next phase will evaluate multi-domain sensing and signals intelligence capabilities. The Army’s January 2026 RFI described a government-owned, government-operated fleet of 11 aircraft toward an acquisition objective of 14, while a later reported plan would reduce the future fleet to six; the signals announce no new solicitation, award value, or procurement contact.

- Sierra Nevada Corporation is identified as lead systems integrator, and Bombardier as the aircraft manufacturer and supplier. Integration, testing, and sensing technologies are potential areas of follow-on work, but no open procurement is announced.
- The differing fleet quantities are material to supplier planning. Contractors should verify the Army’s current acquisition quantities and plans before sizing bids, production capacity, or teaming arrangements.
- The first flight marks progress toward mission-system evaluation, not a contract award. Companies pursuing related work can use the stated testing focus to assess relevant integration and multi-domain sensing capabilities.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 31, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Army (Army)
- Fixed Wing Project Office (FWPO)
- Project Director Sensors–Aerial Intelligence (PD SAI)

### Vendors
- Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) (Lead systems integrator)
- Bombardier (Aircraft manufacturer and supplier)

### Sources
- [HADES Prototype 1 completes first flight, advances Army deep sensing capability](https://www.army.mil/article-amp/296486/hades_prototype_1_completes_first_flight_advances_army_deep_sensing_capability) - Army.mil
- [U.S. Army’s HADES prototype completes first flight in aerial intelligence modernization program](https://defence-industry.eu/u-s-armys-hades-prototype-completes-first-flight-in-aerial-intelligence-modernization-program) - Defence Industry Europe
- [U.S. Army’s HADES Prototype Completes First Flight - The Aviationist](https://theaviationist.com/2026/10/31/u-s-armys-hades-prototype-completes-first-flight) - The Aviationist