Manufacturer catalog

Sierra Nevada Corporation

Sierra Nevada Corporation is a privately owned U.S. aerospace and national-security company whose defense-aviation work includes U.S.-built A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft with Embraer Defense & Security and the RAPCON-X aerial ISR platform for contractor-owned service.

2 weapons

Sierra Nevada Corporation, commonly abbreviated SNC, is based in Sparks, Nevada and works across aerospace, defense integration, ISR, mission systems, electronic warfare, communications, cyber, and tactical systems. The company describes itself as a privately owned mid-tier aerospace and defense prime contractor focused on open-architecture integration across air, land, sea, space, cyber, and all-domain missions.

SNC's defense-aviation work spans aircraft integration, mission systems, and exportable defense platforms rather than only one airframe. SNC and Embraer Defense & Security were awarded contracts to deliver U.S.-built A-29 light attack aircraft, training equipment, mission planning and debrief systems, spares, support equipment, and contractor logistics support for partner air forces, with Nigerian aircraft produced in Jacksonville, Florida and modified in Centennial, Colorado.

SNC's RAPCON-X work shows the same integration role on a different mission set: a commercial-derivative jet converted into an aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system with open-architecture mission equipment. SNC announced a $554 million U.S. Army ATHENA-S award in 2023 and said in April 2026 that both SNC ATHENA aircraft had completed testing and entered contractor-owned, contractor-operated service for Army airborne ISR missions.

Aerospace and defense integrationAircraft integration and modificationISR and C4ISR systemsElectronic warfareMission systemsTactical solutions

Notable Systems

A-29 Super Tucano, Turboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs

A-29 Super Tucano

Turboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft

SNC and Embraer Defense & Security were awarded the Nigerian Air Force contract for 12 A-29 light attack aircraft; SNC describes the A-29 as built in the United States by SNC and Embraer.

Sources: SNC Nigerian A-29 contract, SNC Nigerian A-29 delivery
RAPCON-X, Contractor-owned aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jet, Aircraft & UAVs

RAPCON-X

Contractor-owned aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jet

SNC describes RAPCON-X as its aerial ISR jet capability, built from a current-production commercial-derivative aircraft with modular open-architecture mission systems; two SNC ATHENA aircraft entered contractor-owned service for U.S. Army airborne ISR missions in 2026.

Sources: SNC RAPCON-X capability page, SNC RAPCON-X ATHENA service

Manufacturer History

  1. Company founded

    SNC states that the company was founded in 1963 and is now owned by Chairwoman Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen.

    Sources: About SNC

  2. Nigeria A-29 contract announced

    SNC and Embraer Defense & Security announced a contract to deliver 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to the Nigerian Air Force, with production in Jacksonville and modification in Centennial.

    Sources: SNC Nigerian A-29 contract

  3. Nigerian A-29 first flight

    Air Force Materiel Command published a public-domain photo captioned as the inaugural flight of a Nigerian Air Force A-29 conducted by SNC and Embraer Defense & Security at the Jacksonville production facility.

    Sources: AFMC A-29 first flight photo

  4. First Nigerian A-29 batch departed the United States

    SNC and Embraer released media showing the first six of 12 Nigerian Air Force A-29 aircraft departing the United States for delivery.

    Sources: SNC Nigerian A-29 delivery

  5. RAPCON-X selected for ATHENA-S

    SNC announced a multi-year $554 million U.S. Army contract to deliver RAPCON-X aerial ISR jets for the ATHENA-S project, with work performed from its Hagerstown, Maryland aircraft integration facilities.

    Sources: SNC RAPCON-X ATHENA-S contract

  6. RAPCON-X ATHENA aircraft entered service

    SNC said contractor and government testing had been completed and both SNC ATHENA aircraft were operational in contractor-owned, contractor-operated airborne ISR service for the U.S. Army.

    Sources: SNC RAPCON-X ATHENA service

Website links
Official websiteAbout SNCLocationsBusiness areasRAPCON-X aerial ISR

The public brand is Sierra Nevada Corporation. U.S. government contracting records may list the related legal contractor name Sierra Nevada Company, LLC; that spelling is retained as an alias for the same manufacturer.

Manufacturer Sources

  • About SNCPublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports SNC background, aerospace and national-security positioning, privately owned status, founding year, and ownership by Eren Ozmen and Fatih Ozmen. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • SNC locationsPublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports the Sparks, Nevada corporate headquarters and business-area location context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • SNC business areasPublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports SNC's ISR, aviation, security, mission-solutions, electronic-warfare, communications, and aircraft-integration focus areas. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • SNC Nigerian A-29 contractPublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports SNC and Embraer Defense & Security as the contracted A-29 team for 12 Nigerian Air Force aircraft, including production, modification, training, support equipment, and logistics context. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • SNC Nigerian A-29 deliveryPublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports the 2021 first-batch delivery context and SNC's statement that the A-29 is built in the United States by SNC and Embraer Defense & Security. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • AFMC A-29 first flight photoPublisher: Air Force Materiel Command | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain A-29 first-flight photo whose caption identifies Sierra Nevada Corporation and Embraer Defense & Security conducting the Nigerian Air Force A-29 flight at the Jacksonville production facility. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • GSA contractor recordPublisher: U.S. General Services Administration | Note: Supports the federal-contracting legal-name variant Sierra Nevada Company, LLC, the Sparks address, UEI, and official website association. | Accessed: 2026-06-21
  • SNC RAPCON-X capability pagePublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports RAPCON-X as SNC's aerial ISR jet capability, its commercial-derivative aircraft basis, modular open architecture, long-endurance profile, and official product context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • SNC RAPCON-X ATHENA-S contractPublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports the U.S. Army ATHENA-S contract, RAPCON-X family-of-systems context, Hagerstown integration work, and baseline collection capabilities. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • SNC RAPCON-X ATHENA servicePublisher: Sierra Nevada Corporation | Note: Supports completion of RAPCON-X ATHENA testing, operational contractor-owned service for two aircraft, and Army airborne ISR mission context. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Aircraft & UAVs

Crewed aircraft, drones, and loitering munitions.

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RAPCON-X, Contractor-owned aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jet, Aircraft & UAVsRAPCON-XContractor-owned aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jetBuilt in: United StatesRAPCON-X is Sierra Nevada Corporation's contractor-owned aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jet platform for high-altitude sensing missions. The U.S. Army selected the Global 6500-based ATHENA-S configuration as a bridge capability in its move from turboprop ISR fleets toward HADES, using modular open-architecture mission systems for signals intelligence, electro-optical reconnaissance, and radar-supported ground moving-target collection.
A-29 Super Tucano, Turboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs2001 War in Afghanistan, 1964 Colombian Armed Conflict +2 moreA-29 Super TucanoTurboprop light attack and armed reconnaissance aircraftBuilt in: Brazil / United StatesThe A-29 Super Tucano is an Embraer-designed turboprop light attack, armed reconnaissance, and advanced-training aircraft built for counter-insurgency and austere-base operations. Documented combat use includes Afghan laser-guided bomb strikes against Taliban targets, Colombian counter-FARC precision strikes, Burkinabe counter-terror air operations in the Sahel, and Nigerian close air support against Boko Haram and ISWAP.