- Leidos will continue supporting the Army’s ARTEMIS ISR operations
- Work will cover the European Command area of responsibility
- Leidos has supported the mission since 2020
Leidos has won a contract worth up to $127 million to continue supporting the Army’s ARTEMIS airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission.
The award extends ARTEMIS operations within the European Command area of responsibility through summer 2027, with two additional option years, Leidos said Tuesday. The company has supported the mission since 2020.
The Army issued the award through its Common Hardware Systems-6 contract, a potential 10-year, $7.9 billion vehicle Leidos won in 2023 for procuring command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance hardware.
What Is ARTEMIS?
ARTEMIS, short for Airborne Reconnaissance and Targeting Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence System, is built around a modified Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet. The aircraft carries antennas and processing equipment to intercept and analyze adversary communications, Defense One reported in December 2022.
Operating above 40,000 feet lets the platform collect signals at long range without entering airspace defended by surface-to-air missiles, a Leidos executive said at the time.
Leidos supplies the aircraft, mission systems, flight operations and support services under a contractor-owned, contractor-operated arrangement. The Army pays by the hour and connects to the sensors remotely via satellite.
“As threats continue to evolve, we’re providing the Army with a proven, rapidly deployable ISR capability that helps commanders stay ahead of the fight and make decisions with greater confidence,” said Jason McCarthy, senior vice president for airborne and mission solutions at Leidos.
How Did ARTEMIS Reach the Army?
Leidos approached the Army in January 2019 with the concept and delivered the first aircraft in July 2020, according to a company account of the program.
The first ARTEMIS aircraft was deployed to Europe in November 2021 as part of an Army exercise in the United States, joining NATO efforts to monitor Russian forces near the Ukrainian border. As of December 2022, the aircraft had flown more than 370 missions and 3,200 flight hours.
A second aircraft entered Army control in late 2022. Both were fielded as technology demonstrators supporting the Army’s High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program, intended to replace turboprop ISR aircraft previously used over Iraq and Afghanistan.
