Sierra Nevada invests more than $200 million in advanced reconnaissance aircraft to replace the Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail
American aerospace company Sierra Nevada has allocated more than $200 million to create two prototypes of advanced reconnaissance aircraft RAPCON-X.
Here's What We Know
The new aircraft could be a replacement for the Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail. The U.S. Army is already looking for an alternative to the aging Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail airborne reconnaissance signal collection platforms based on the Beechcraft King Air and Super King Air aircraft.
The Nevada-based company began work on the RAPCON-X a year ago. The manufacturer wants to offer the Department of Defense what the U.S. Army needs. This was stated by Tim Harper, one of the Sierra Nevada representatives.
It is worth noting that the RAPCON-X is not a unique aircraft. The development is based on the Bombardier Global 6500 business jet. One such aircraft costs about $50 million. Sierra Nevada plans to modify two planes, adding radar and a radio reconnaissance package. The company will get its first business jet by the end of 2022 and could have its first flight test next summer.
Source: Aviation Week
