The most important strategic win for Bombardier Defense in 2023 came at the end of the year, when the U.S. Army selected the Global 6500 aircraft to serve as the High Accuracy Exploitation and Detection System (HADES) prototype. 

According to the company, this will be the first time the U.S. Army has used a large commercial aircraft for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. 

A dose of confidence for Bombardier: this latest vote of confidence from the United States, where Global Aircraft already supports the Air Force , shows how well suited its products are for surveillance missions and positions the company for future success. 

Meanwhile, the company is advancing work on aircraft for Germany at its Bombardier Defense headquarters in Wichita. 

Bombardier Defense was a key element of the parent company’s growth over the past year. Officially launched in 2022, its defense business builds on decades of experience. 

Bombardier Defense 

On October 23, 2023, the company delivered the seventh Global 6000 aircraft to the U.S. Air Force for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program, Bombardier’s multi-year contract with the Air Force. 

The aircraft supports an airborne communications platform, essential for critical missions around the world. 

Then, on November 12, 2023, the company delivered the seventh global aircraft to defense and security company Saab, ready to be transformed into Saab’s airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) solution known as GlobalEye. 

Services

Another pillar of Bombardier’s 2023 performance was its newly expanded service center network. 

If 2022 was the year to celebrate the openings and expansions of facilities in Melbourne, Singapore, Miami and London, then 2023 was the year to integrate these centers into the Bombardier family, allowing it to serve more customers and be closer to them. 

From the company’s perspective, revenue from its services business in 2023 was an unprecedented benefit to its bottom line, while the realization of its expanded services network is a key achievement that will provide a predictable and consistent revenue stream.