HENSOLDT, Lufthansa Technik Defense and Bombardier Defense have reached another key milestone in the PEGASUS (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) program: the first aircraft has successfully arrived in Germany.
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Following its transatlantic flight from Bombardier’s facility in Wichita, Kansas, the aircraft has landed at Lufthansa Technik’s headquarters in Hamburg last week, where the next major phase of the program will now begin.
Led by national electromagnetic warfare champion HENSOLDT and employing the extensive special mission aircraft capabilities of Lufthansa Technik, the German MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) specialist, and of Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, the PEGASUS program will provide the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) with a state-of-the-art airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability.
The arrival of the first aircraft marks the transition from platform design and development in the United States to the mission system integration and certification phase in Germany. At Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, the next steps will include the integration of the SIGINT system based on HENSOLDT’s Kalaetron Integral, the installation of the mission cabin, and the integration of additional military and communication systems.
Moreover, the company will handle both civil and military certification of the aircraft. In parallel, preparations for entry-into-service support are already underway — including training of technical and flight personnel and the creation and provision of technical documentation — to ensure a smooth transition into operational use.
