Bombardier Delivers Ninth Global 6000 to USAF BACN

Bombardier has handed over the ninth Bombardier Global 6000 to the U.S. Air Force for the BACN airborne communications fleet.

Bombardier Defense completed delivery of a Global 6000 business jet to the U.S. Air Force at its Wichita, Kansas facility, where the airframe will be modified for high‑altitude communications relay work. The aircraft joins the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) fleet, bringing the total number of Bombardier Globals supporting the program to nine.

BACN (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node) acts as an airborne translator and relay, bridging data and voice links between platforms that otherwise can’t talk to each other. The system supports secure connectivity for U.S. and allied forces during complex operations and improves situational awareness across contested or network‑constrained environments.

Bombardier Global 6000: BACN role

The Bombardier Global 6000 is being adapted with mission systems, antennas and mission‑specific interiors to perform long‑endurance, high‑altitude relay missions. While the basic Global 6000 is a long‑range business jet, its range, cabin space and performance make it a flexible baseline for modification into an airborne communications node operated by the USAF.

  • Aircraft type: Bombardier Global 6000 — the platform chosen for BACN missions.
  • Operator: U.S. Air Force, for BACN airborne communications duties.
  • Delivery location: Bombardier Wichita facility (maintenance and modification hub).
  • Role: high‑altitude communications relay to link data and voice between disparate systems.

This ninth delivery underscores continued U.S. Air Force investment in airborne communications modernization and highlights Bombardier’s expanding footprint in defense aviation. Upgrading and growing the BACN fleet reflects a wider push to maintain resilient, layered communications for distributed operations and coalition interoperability.

Sources

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