MIT Lincoln Laboratory has acquired a Saab 340 aircraft for permanent use in its Flight Test Facility. For five years, the lab had leased the twin-engine turboprop, retrofitting it with radar, sensing, and communications systems for research. By purchasing it, Lincoln Laboratory preserves the aircraft’s capabilities for future projects while reducing costs tied to leasing, reports MIT News.
The Saab 340 now joins a roster of five government-owned aircraft at the lab’s facility on Hanscom Air Force Base, including Gulfstream IVs and a Cessna, alongside one leased Twin Otter. Lincoln’s leadership describes the Saab as one of its most “multi-mission capable” platforms—versatile and adaptable like a Swiss Army knife.
A major function of the aircraft is hosting the Airborne Radar Testbed (ARTB), which houses a steerable radar array supporting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) research. Because ARTB follows open architecture and open standards, it can be reconfigured for many R&D needs. In recent exercises, the Saab served as a surrogate multi-INT (multi-intelligence) ISR platform, demonstrating machine-to-machine cueing where payloads recognize targets designated by operational U.S. Air Force systems.
Before acquiring the aircraft, Lincoln Lab evaluated operational, lifecycle, and cost trade-offs. The decision to purchase rather than renew leasing was based on a comparative analysis that favored permanent ownership. Having the Saab in its permanent inventory also enables longer-term infrastructure investments, such as hardware upgrades, regulatory authorizations like Link 16 secure communications, and shared access among research groups.
This move forms part of a broader 10-year recapitalization effort at the Flight Test Facility, in which aging aircraft will be retired and replaced by platforms more suited to rapid prototyping and expanded flight envelopes. With the Saab secured, MIT Lincoln Lab strengthens its airborne testing capabilities for national security, defense, and advanced systems development.