Over the past five years, the facility leased and operated the twin-engine turboprop, once commercially used for the regional transport of passengers and cargo. During this time, staff modified the aircraft with a suite of radar, sensing, and communications capabilities. Transitioning the aircraft from a leased to a government-owned asset retains the aircraft's capabilities for present and future R&D in support of national security and reduces costs for Lincoln Laboratory sponsors. With the acquisition of the Saab, the Flight Test Facility currently maintains five government-owned aircraft ' including three Gulfstream IVs and a Cessna 206 ' as well as a leased Twin Otter, all housed on Hanscom Air Force Base, just over a mile from the laboratory's main campus. "Of all our aircraft, the Saab is the most multi-mission-capable," says David Culbertson, manager of the Flight Test Facility. "It's highly versatile and adaptable, like a Swiss Army knife. Researchers from across the...
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