The IAF is seeking to induct up to nine special mission aircraft of which two would be for airborne SIGINT and the remaining seven would be configured for multi-mission role, which apart from carrying passengers and cargo, would include COMJAM

With its headquarters in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier Aerospace is the world’s third largest civil aircraft manufacturer and leader in the design and manufacture of innovative aviation products and services for the business, regional and amphibious aircraft segments of the market. The company is committed to developing new products having launched 25 successful new aircraft programmes in the last about two and a half decades to meet with the diverse and changing needs of customers. Over and above routine transportation, tasks for Bombardier’s aircraft include gathering information over the battlefield, patrolling oceans or monitoring navigational systems.

Since January 1965, when a Learjet 23 aircraft was quickly reconfigured for a medical evacuation mission, Bombardier has built up for itself the most impressive track record and the widest experience in providing special mission aircraft for governments, the armed forces and specialised commercial operators. Today, Bombardier offers the widest selection of high-performance platforms, from light and ultra long-range jets to turboprop aircraft and amphibians. These include the Global Express XRS and 5000, the Challenger 300, 605 and 800 series, the Learjet 40 XR, 45 XR and 60 XR as also the Q-series of airplanes. These special mission aircraft deliver the right combination of speed, range, payload, endurance, agility and reliability to meet any special mission requirement. In addition, Bombardier aircraft are supported by the company’s world-class technical and maintenance services all over the world.

In 1996, Bombardier Aerospace established the Government and Special Mission Aircraft Department which was later renamed as Specialised Aircraft Solutions (SAS), to produce aircraft and mission systems to address the distinctive requirements of governments and other customers. The mandate for SAS is also to identify trends in current and mission areas in the future.

Today, with the largest fleet of special mission aircraft in corporate aviation, most members of Bombardier’s comprehensive business jet and commercial aircraft family are firmly established in-service with special mission operators. For future mission concepts, Bombardier continues to develop new specialised aircraft solutions to maintain its leading status in the market. SAS has delivered over 300 aircraft to more than 35 governments worldwide for the following specialised mission applications:

• C4ISR
• Maritime patrol, search and rescue
• Disaster response and medevac
• Flight testing, calibration, R&D
• Training
• Executive transport and logistics support

Airborne C4ISR

A mission requiring surveillance, monitoring, intelligence gathering and airborne coordination is classified as a mission under command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Bombardier aircraft are already well established in these roles particularly in the increasingly sophisticated air-toground surveillance environment, both in the overland and maritime domains. Government agencies and military commanders around the globe rely on Bombardier’s proven C4ISR platforms for high-altitude surveillance and domain awareness, maritime patrol, command, control and communications as also tactical and strategic reconnaissance. Bombardier aircraft employed for C4ISR roles include the wide body Global and Challenger aircraft; the agile Learjet family; and their most recent introduction, the Q-Series turboprop aircraft. These specialised aircraft are being used by a number of agencies. The Royal Air Force uses the Global Express for air borne stand-off radar (ASTOR) programme also referred to as the Sentinel R Mk I, wherein the credentials of the aircraft as a superior C4ISR platform has been validated. The Royal Danish Air Force operates the Challenger 604 and the Korean National Maritime Police Agency employs the Challenger 604 for the protection of fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.

In the first week of September 2012, Bombardier delivered a Global 6000 aircraft to the US Air Force, the fourth such aircraft to be added to the existing US Air Force inventory with E-11A military designation. This new platform with the battlefield airborne communications node (BACN), will allow disparate battlefield communications systems to share data.

Maritime Patrol, Search and Rescue

The characteristics of flexibility, endurance, range and payload of Bombardier’s platforms render them highly suitable for marine patrol as also search and rescue. Agencies that employ the company’s aircraft for the above mentioned roles are Coast Watch Australia (Q200 and Q300 Series), Swedish Coast Guard (Q300 Series), Japan Coast Guard (Q300 Series), Canadian Coast Guard (Q100 and Q200 Series) and the Department of Homeland Security of the US (Q200).

Disaster Response & Medevac

Bombardier aircraft undertake life-saving missions for a range of operators including air forces and agencies in Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Iceland, Korea, Malaysia and the United States. Bombardier aircraft can operate not only in the traditional sea-going search and rescue (SAR) role, but also in providing capability to civil authorities for disaster relief. Several aircraft/capabilities options are available to support rescue, recovery and restoration work following hurricanes, flooding or other natural disasters including the Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft. Additionally, there are emerging requirements for supporting potential weapons of mass destruction events.

Specially modified for in flight medical care, Bombardier aircraft already have a long history of air ambulance and medevac role. The Challenger 604 aircraft has emerged as a preferred aircraft for air ambulance missions. Medevac role and has accumulated close to 30,000 flight hours and 35,000 landings over a twenty year period. Agencies operating Bombardier aircraft for medevac include Quebec Government (CL 601 Challenger), Rega Air Swiss Ambulance (three CL 604 Challengers), Irish Air Corps (Lear 45XR), Canadian Global Air Ambulance (Lear 35A), and Saudi Armed Forces Medical Services (Lear 35).

Flight Testing, Airways Calibration, Research & Development

As a stable and reliable platform for airborne research and development as well as sub-system tests and evaluations, Bombardier aircraft are employed in this role with several aerospace corporations and other centres of excellence for technology development especially to enhance safety in the management of airspace. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operates a Global 5000 aircraft as an airborne research laboratory for testing a variety of state-of-the-art equipment related to communications and navigation systems. Other customers include industry leaders such as NASA and Northrop Grumman. The FAA operates an all-Bombardier fleet led by four Challenger aircraft (a Challenger 604 and three Challenger 601 3R jets) and six Learjet 60 aircraft. As a joint organisation with the USAF Combat Flight Inspection detachment, the FAA’s Challenger aircraft have supported allied nations in certifying airfields for military operations, including in Kabul, Baghdad and Uzebekistan. Additionally, another world-renowned civil aviation organisation, Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau, operates two Global Express ultra longrange jets and one Q300 aircraft for flight inspection missions. The Government of Malaysia operates a Lear 60, and NAV Canada uses a Challenger CL 601 and Q100 in this role.