Bombardier officially designated its site in Wichita, Kansas, as the company’s headquarters in the United States on Tuesday. Noting that the defense market is a key area of growth for the company, Bombardier also announced that its Wichita-based Specialized Aircraft division has been renamed “Bombardier Defense.” According to the company, the name change is intended to reflect its strategic expansion of the division, which offers defense solutions hosted on Bombardier’s aircraft platforms.
“Wichita was the obvious choice as the home of Bombardier’s new U.S. Headquarters and Bombardier Defense,” said Bombardier President and CEO Éric Martel. “For more than 60 years, the established skills and expertise from the Air Capital of the World is second to none, and this latest confirmation from the United States Air Force is a testament to the confidence they have in our aircraft and importantly, in the strength of our people in Wichita.”
As part of Tuesday’s announcement, Bombardier Defense confirmed that it had received additional firm orders from the U.S. Air Force for modified versions of its Global 6000 aircraft. Part of a contract worth up to $465 million, the aircraft will go to support of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program. Bombardier’s Wichita location includes a service center that supports Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets. In addition, it operates as a flight test center for aircraft upgrades on all new Bombardier aircraft programs.
