From Pax to AEW&Cs: Business Aviation Is Booming in Defense Sector

Besides transporting business leaders and movers and shakers, business jets have also found themselves an invaluable asset for another highly demanding cross-section of customers: the military.

Despite eschewing luxury in-flight hospitality, the attributes offered by these capable and customizable aircraft make them ideal candidates for military and parapublic missions, with their adoption on the rise.

The use of modified business aviation aircraft appears to be booming within the defense sector, fulfilling a variety of roles including electronic warfare (EW); intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); signals intelligence (SIGINT); and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C).

As rising geopolitical tensions are augmenting demand for aircraft, air forces and operators are increasingly turning to the key capabilities specifically offered by business jets to fulfill these missions. Larger and further-ranging than legacy turboprop fleets while simultaneously smaller than converted commercial airliners, the speed, time-to-altitude, endurance, flexibility, economic feasibility, survivability, and reliability of many proven business jet conversions offer a “sweet spot” that many defense applications are enthusiastically exploiting.

So, why are these platforms’ popularity on the upswing?

Crucially, the development of longer-ranging platforms such as the Bombardier Global lines and the Gulfstream GV/550 (combined with lighter, more efficient onboard electronics and mission systems) made the business jet a more viable option within the defense and special missions sphere. However, that was just a part of the story.

“Economic and national security interests are changing, and governments are increasingly seeking solutions that allow them to react quickly to events around the globe, while operating at greater distances from home bases,” explained Steve Patrick, v-p of Bombardier Defense. “This requires a new level of agility and responsiveness that was not necessary in the recent past, and this change of geopolitical reality has led to the need for capabilities over much larger distances.”

Additionally, “the requirement for defense-configured business jets has grown in scale and complexity, reflecting rising demand for persistent ISR, resilient command-and-control, and adaptable mission platforms,” confirmed Leda Chong, Gulfstream Aerospace v-p of worldwide government sales.

This complexity represents much more than simply taking the Erieye roof-mounted “ski box” radar from atop an AEW&C-configured legacy Saab 340/2000 turboprop and bolting it to a business jet.

“In recent years… as payload and sensor form factors have reduced, along with power and cooling requirements, the host platform requirements have changed,” offered Bombardier’s Patrick.

Extensive consideration has been given to supporting the power-intensive demands of modern ISR and EW systems, providing capacity not just to run the systems but to disseminate and distribute data in real time. The Bombardier Global 6500 is powered by the Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engine, which “features standard additional generator capacity above and beyond the basic aircraft requirements. This excess power can be made available to accommodate mission payloads without the need for fundamental redesign of the power generation and distribution system,” he added.

Gulfstream’s Chong also believes that platform adaptation “requires more than incremental upgrades; it requires deep integration.” Gulfstream “manages this by executing modifications in-house, with dedicated engineering and test teams that work directly on the aircraft from design through delivery. Customers are not just acquiring an aircraft but a platform engineered for their mission from the start.”

Bombardier Defense, spun out as its own business unit in 2022, “leverages Bombardier’s portfolio of top-performing aircraft with unparalleled engineering expertise to create custom solutions for governments and militaries around the world,” continued Patrick.

Indeed, the list of Bombardier aircraft applications within this area is becoming as extensive as the acronyms are prolific. Three modified Global 6000 aircraft form the basis of the Bundeswehr’s PEGASUS (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) project, replacing the 1960s-built Breguet Atlantic BR.1150 maritime patrol aircraft. A 10th modified Global 6000 serving as the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) E-11A BACN (Battle Airborne Communications Node) is also set to be delivered by 2027, offering a capability colloquially referenced as “Wi-Fi in the Sky.”

Additionally, the Global 6500 is “the platform of choice for many missions because it is an in-production, commercially available solution that is well suited to modification and adaptation,” continued Patrick. To date, these include Saab’s GlobalEye multi-domain command and control (C2) platform, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s RAPCON-X (rapidly configurable) ISR solution, and the U.S. Army’s upcoming HADES (High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System). The latter is, itself, the successor to so-called “stopgap” capability measures, including the ARTEMIS, ARES, and ATHENA projects (also using the Bombardier Challenger 650 or Global 6500 aircraft).

Meanwhile, the Gulfstream G550 forms the basis of the U.S.’s Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) aircraft and the upcoming USAF Compass Call aircraft, the latter tasked with what contractor L3Harris described as the “disruption of enemy communications, radars, and navigation systems.” Looking across all of its programs, Gulfstream has delivered more than 200 special-mission aircraft to support governments and militaries globally.

Not to be left behind, Dassault Aviation’s flagship Falcon 8X will also form the basis of the French Air and Space Force’s ARCHANGE (Avion de Renseignement à CHArge utile de Nouvelle GEnération) strategic airborne intelligence platform, replacing the decommissioned Gabriel (a modified Transall C-160 military transport aircraft).

Regardless of the OEM, however, business jets are certainly proving their prowess within a variety of roles their legacy forebears are increasingly unsuited for. They are also helping redefine and streamline fleet sizes. As an example, the 14 modified Global 6500s forming the basis of the U.S. Army’s HADES program will replace a fleet of some 70-odd Beechcraft King Air and de Havilland DHC Dash 7 turboprops, offering extended range, reliability, and payload, with a top speed of Mach 0.90. Providing increased cruising altitude and persistence, the Global 6500’s 30% greater line-of-sight range than legacy options “enables the modern, more capable sensors to cover a wider footprint…meaning the same tasks can be completed with fewer aircraft, within a larger area,” said Patrick.

With the Global 6500 able to be positioned almost anywhere worldwide with a single refueling stop, “this translates to having the aircraft in operation anywhere within 24 hours, whereas legacy platforms…may require multiple fuel and crew duty stops,” he elaborated. The Finnish border guard has also opted to replace its legacy Dornier 228s with a pair of modified Bombardier Challenger 650s, selected for what it stated as “[extended] operating time and greater transport capacity.”

Conversely, business jets also offer a crucial alternative to the commercial airliner-sized platforms of yesteryear, such as the U.S.-Israeli-developed Boeing 707 CAEW aircraft, now superseded by the Gulfstream G550. “Governments and militaries are looking for aircraft that deliver both strategic endurance and operational flexibility without the cost and footprint of larger converted airliners,” reiterated Chong.

A spokesperson for Saab’s GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft added that “when compared to a commercial jet platform, the Bombardier Global 6500 shows tremendous advantages, including optimized turnaround, reduced training time for maintenance, and seamless training for personnel. Additionally, small platforms do not require special runways or location infrastructure and can be deployed much faster.” This, asserts Saab, reflects its company-wide belief in developing “solutions that minimize waste and maximize efficiency while delivering optimal performance.”

The GlobalEye, first developed in 2016, is a prime example of how business jet attributes can be best harnessed to provide what the Swedish defense company described as “a compelling option for customers seeking enhanced survivability in contested environments.”

Among other interests, five units have been delivered to the UAE, Sweden has three on order, and France recently declared its intention to acquire up to four to replace its aging Boeing E-3F Sentry (also a Boeing 707 derivative). However, despite NATO shunning GlobalEye for the larger Boeing 737-based E-7 Wedgetail, the latter program has faced its share of criticism. In June 2025, a senior USAF official referenced “significant delays with cost increases from $588 to $724m [per] aircraft” as well as “survivability concerns in this contested environment.”

“Survivability has several dimensions to it,” responded Bombardier Defense’s Patrick. “Larger platforms are easier to detect and deter. Also, platforms that must operate closer to the lines of engagement to enable sensor sight lines would be at an increased risk.”

In addition to the Global 6500’s maximum endurance of more than 18 hours and 12,223 km range, self-protection systems can also be added to further mitigate risk. Additionally, the ease and efficiency with which a platform can be maintained and sustained in operational environments is a key consideration: lessening reliance on specific logistics support chains or significant infrastructure in under-resourced territories.

“Today, we are supporting record levels of activity across our product line in missions ranging from airborne early warning to aeromedical transport,” concluded Gulfstream. “The pipeline is robust, and opportunities continue to expand.”

Dassault also estimates that 10% of its in-service Falcon jets are currently used by military, government, or health organizations. Augmenting the demand from returning customers, nations such as Canada are also considering AEW&C capabilities for the first time, with the ongoing Canadian competition likely to see Bombardier and Boeing head-to-head once more.

But what of the evolving capabilities on offer?

“GlobalEye’s modular and scalable architecture allows for efficient production and customization [and] facilitates easy integration of new technologies and upgrades, ensuring the system remains relevant and effective over its life cycle without extensive modifications,” stated Saab, which is working to raise its annual production capacity to four systems a year.

Alongside perceiving a “growing demand for airborne surveillance solutions,” Saab also recognizes the importance of new technologies. “We understand the future battlefield for airborne surveillance will likely be a mix of manned and unmanned solutions working together. In this integrated approach, GlobalEye remains a crucial asset, coordinating and enhancing the overall effectiveness of the defense ecosystem,” the spokesperson concluded.

Similarly, Bombardier recognizes that “emerging technologies in AI, autonomy, and manned-unmanned teaming present powerful opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of manned ISR platforms—particularly within a system-of-systems framework that emphasizes integration, adaptability, and mission agility.”