Leidos debuted the latest ARTEMIS II last December 8 in its turnover, ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the US Army's new military aircraft made to intercept enemy communications 40,000 feet in the air. The aircraft is from a Bombardier Challenger 650 equipped with the modifications from Leidos that delivers surveillance and decipher the chatter.
This effort is part of the US Army's high-flying intelligence planes, alongside L3Harris' ARES, to add to its initiative called the HADES.
Leidos' ARTEMIS II: US Army's New Surveillance Plane
Defense One's report centers on the latest turnover ceremony and unveiling of the latest military aircraft for the US Army, with the modified Bombardier aircraft from the Leidos. This new white jet is called the ARTEMIS II, and while it appears like a business jet from the outside, it features a fully-equipped cabin made for surveillance.
One of its most impressive features is its technology that can monitor, detect, intercept, and decipher enemy state chatter from a massive distance of 40,000 feet in the air.
The ARTEMIS II can "operate at higher airspeeds, allowing deeper signals to gather across a broader area while maintaining an acceptable standoff position," according to Leidos.
ARTEMIS II to Complete HADES with ARES
ARTEMIS II is joining the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) initiative of the US Army which features spy planes that are capable of monitoring enemy communications from a safe distance.
Moreover, the ARTEMIS features 4,000 nautical miles of range that is capable to provide almost ten hours of operation to collect data from above. Leidos' ARTEMIS is already watching Ukraine from above, under the US Army.
US Military's Planes
The US military is expanding its aerial fleet for its different branches, centering on multiple contractor-owned intelligence aircraft and planes made for defense or wars. One of the most recent contract grants is with Raytheon Technologies, awarded with more than $985 million budget to develop the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) with Northrop Grumman.
Earlier this month, the United States Air Force, together with Northrop, also unveiled the latest aircraft in its fleet, the B-21 Raider. This aircraft is capable of stealth technology, alongside being equipped with nuclear bombing capabilities, regarded as the world's most advanced strike aircraft at the present.
The United States is still expanding its fleet despite these new additions, and more are coming in the future.
That being said, Leidos' latest ARTEMIS II delivers less firepower than other developments, but it has as much importance in the fleet to do the Army's bidding. Now, the new aircraft has been turned over to the country's defense troops, centering on its use for surveillance and monitoring for future needs.
