Toronto-listed snowmobile-to-business-jet maker Bombardier has its eyes set on the Down Under, especially with back-to-back developments. Bombardier Defense announced an order for two Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft by Australia-based Principle Finance, just days after the company opened a new Line Maintenance Station (LMS) in Perth.
The Bombardier Challenger 650 is an aircraft designed for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, with the delivery of both planes planned for 2026.
“This purchase represents a major milestone for Bombardier Defense, increasing our presence in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President of Aircraft Sales & Bombardier Defense. “Our aircraft are the platform of choice not only due to their reach, persistence and performance, but also due to the large accessibility of our services and support ecosystem in the country,” added Gallagher.
Harrison Langrell, Managing Director of Principle Finance—a provider of customised operating leases for aircraft in Australia—chimed in on adding Bombardier Challenger 650 into their fleet, “This platform allows us to enhance our surveillance reach and effectiveness, ensuring we stay ahead in the rapidly evolving defence landscape.”
Bombardier Challenger 650 aircraft is a mid-sized jet that “can achieve an endurance of up to 11 hours, with a dispatch reliability of over 99.9% and an impressive range of 4,000 nm (7,408 km).”
According to the aircraft maker, the Challenger 650 is apt for ISR missions “by flying higher, faster and farther than legacy airborne platforms ensuring the coverage of expansive territories, and offering performance comparable to large maritime patrol aircraft at fractions of their purchase and operating costs.”
“This aircraft offers the right flexibility to complete missions in challenging environments, with an optimal payload capacity for customised mission-specific equipment, a strategic advantage for next-generation solution development,” it further added in a statement.
Bombardier has been aggressively increasing its proverbial flights to Australia over the past few years, especially with it announcing a new Line Maintenance Station (LMS) in Perth last week.
As it opened its 10th LMS location in the world, Bombardier also said it plans to open a second Line Maintenance Station in Sydney later this year, subject to regulatory approvals.
This development comes less than a year after Bombardier Defense opened its first international office in Adelaide, in May 2024, to cater to its “special mission” customers in the Asia-Pacific market.
Bombardier, the parent company known for manufacturing business jets—the Global and Challenger series—opened a Melbourne Service Centre back in September 2022. “The addition of the Perth Line Maintenance Station is an integral part of our overall mission to enhance OEM support for our customers in Australia,” said Paul Sislian, Executive Vice President, Aftermarket Services & Strategy at Bombardier.