Global 6000 to join BACN fleet
Global 6000 aircraft. (Photo: Bombardier)
US airborne communications gateway capability will include the Bombardier Global 6000.
The US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has awarded Bombardier Learjet a $464.85 million IDIQ contract to provide up to six Global 6000 aircraft in the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) programme.
Work on the sole-source contract will be performed in Wichita, Kansas, for completion in May 2026.
Shephard Defence Insight notes that BACN provides an airborne communications gateway capability to US commanders and warfighters, connecting voice and data link networks. The communications node bridges gaps between disparate systems, enabling situation awareness across multiple levels.
Today, BACN operates on two US platforms: the E-11A (a version of the Bombardier 700 business jet) and the EQ-4B Global Hawk UAS.
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