Army Halves HADES Spy Plane Buy in Strategic Shakeup

The U.S. Army is trimming its plans for the new HADES spy planes, cutting the number it expects to buy from 12 down to 6. But according to Army officials, it’s not a sign the program is in trouble—it’s just part of a bigger strategy shakeup.

The cut was laid out in a May 7 executive order tied to the Army’s ongoing Transformation Initiative. While that might sound dramatic, the Army’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Task Force says it’s more of a smart adjustment than a step back.

The HADES (High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System) jets are meant to replace the Army’s now-retired ISR fleet. They’re built using the Bombardier Global 6500 business jet, and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is in charge of turning them into flying spy platforms. So far, the Army has ordered one aircraft, with options for more depending on how the first few perform.

According to Col. Joe Minor, who oversees the Army’s fixed-wing aircraft, the reduced number won’t affect the cost much. These aren’t mass-produced jets—they’re handcrafted, with a focus on high-end capability.

SNC already has its first prototype from Bombardier and is working to get it mission-ready by late 2026. The plan is to test it in real-world conditions, and if it performs as expected, more aircraft could follow.

Tim Owings, an exec at SNC, summed it up like this: “It’s like arguing over how many kids to have before the first one’s even born. Let’s fly the first one, prove it works, and go from there.”

Bottom line: the Army’s not scaling back its ISR goals—it’s just making sure it builds the right tools for the job, one step at a time.