The German government has approved an $847 million funding for the procurement of three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft that will be used for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), according to Scramble Magazine.
The decision to buy new Global 6000 aircraft comes after Berlin canceled plans to buy AmericanTriton high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial system to the tune of $2.5 billion.
The Aviation International News reported that the German Ministry of Defense to conclude that Triton UAS was unlikely to be able to meet the safety standards required for flying in European airspace by 2025, and would be subject to onerous restrictions that required it to fly only in segregated airspace and dedicated corridors.
The procurement of three Global 6000s with ISR capability will be a replacement for the cancelled Triton project of the Luftwaffe. The contractor for the ISR system will be Hensoldt Sensor Solutions. It is not yet known where the ISR modifications will be done, but the headquarters is in Taufkirchen, near Munich (Germany).
The Bombardier Global 6000 was the Luftwaffe’s preferred choice because they have already three Global 6000s VIP variants in their inventory (serials 14+05, 14+06, 14+07). These have been purchased to complement and replace one Global 5000. The procurement of additional aircraft will save maintenance and personnel costs.