L3Harris Technologies completed a first flight of the U.S. Army Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System (ARES) aircraft, which will help modernise and enhance the Army's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

ARES is a technology demonstrator for the Army's High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) program, capable of integrating capabilities from the Army's existing ISR fleet with capacity to add payloads, sensors and increase standoff ranges.

"L3Harris is helping the Army rapidly expand its ISR capabilities with ARES," said Luke Savoie, President, Aviation Services, 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."

ARES can fly at mission altitudes above 40,000 feet for as long as 14 hours and can activate Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) to counter long-range threats. Flight operations above 40,000 feet enhance aircraft survivability and line-of-sight, making ARES and HADES key Sensor to Shooter (S2S) network enablers, the Army's top modernisation priority.

ARES' extended mission range also reduces mission risk by eliminating the need to operate near challenged or denied borders, something not possible with lower-altitude, shorter-range sensing systems.

ARES is hosted on the Bombardier Global 6000/6500 class business jet, providing optimal size, weight, power, performance and affordability for the HADES program. The original equipment manufacturer's green aircraft can host up to 14,000 lbs. of mission payload and has the power to run the Army's longest-range sensors, along with the size, weight and power capacity to accommodate future growth.

L3Harris has extensive experience integrating ISR payloads onto commercial aircraft and is a world leader in developing airborne ISR and EW solutions. The company is leveraging its more than 40 years of experience in missionising business jet ISR aircraft to develop the latest sensing technologies.