Chris Pocock has been covering the defense beat for AIN for over 30&nbsp;years. He is a British citizen and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Chris worked in the air cargo business for ten years before becoming a full-time writer in 1983. He subsequently edited two air cargo journals before becoming AIN’s Defense Editor. He retired from that position in 2018, but still contributes to the publication. Chris has written extensively on aerial reconnaissance, including four books on the history of the U-2 spyplane. He also lectures on this and other topics related to intelligence-gathering in the Cold War.

Defense Correspondent

Chris Pocock

The H3 Aerospace Group is making its debut with a prominent outside display this week at the Farnborough Airshow. While the branding is new, the man behind H3—Andre Hiebeler—is a familiar face in the aerospace world. Hiebeler and his brother and sister bought Grob Aircraft out of bankruptcy nine years ago and developed it into a premier provider of basic training aircraft.

 


Now the company has expanded its range of activities and the new label is more appropriate, Hiebeler told AIN. In particular, H3 (Outside Exhibit 3) sees great opportunity in providing ISR mission systems, where it is merging sensors, datalinks, and displays from a variety of non-U.S. suppliers. The company has been working in earnest for the past three years on the ISR solutions that are displayed this week at Farnborough—a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, Grob G120TP, and a German MAN all-terrain truck converted as a ground control station.

 


The Caravan features a new underbelly radome that H3 has designed as a substitute for the OEM’s standard cargo pod. It can contain various sensors and a datalink, and is already certified. Hiebeler told AIN that the Caravan is already serving widely in Africa, which is a key target market for H3. Kenya is a customer and H3 hopes to close more deals with others “in the next couple of weeks," according to Hiebeler.

 


Meanwhile, the G120TP carries the ISR pod that H3 has designed for quick fit and removal. It also could be fitted to a variety of aircraft, including Textron Beechcraft King Airs, the Embraer Super Tucano, and helicopters. The EO/IR turret on the Caravan is from Hensoldt’s South African subsidiary; the control station from Spanish company Sainsel; and the datalink from Italian company IPR. But H3 is offering to integrate a variety of other sensors, such as radars from Leonardo or Thales, the Wescam MX-20 EO/IR turret, and various SIGINT or AIS systems.

 


Notably, these are all ITAR-free systems that can be offered as “no-nonsense solutions,” according to Hiebeler. He admitted that H3 is entering a crowded field, but said that Grob’s experience with a wide customer base will pay off. “We can make every installation a success story,” Hiebeler claimed.

 


Moreover, the company is preparing to restart production of the G520 Egrett high-altitude turboprop, which he said is a viable ISR platform. “We are in the last stages of negotiation for three to four new-generation G520NG versions,” Hiebeler told AIN.

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