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Germany's First PEGASUS SIGINT Jet Arrives in Hamburg for Integration

The milestone shifts the program from U.S. platform work to a multi-year phase focused on mission-system installation, certification, entry-into-service preparation in Germany.

Overview

  • The Global 6000-based aircraft completed a transatlantic ferry flight from Bombardier’s Wichita facility before landing at Lufthansa Technik’s site in Hamburg.
  • Lufthansa Technik will install HENSOLDT’s Kalætron Integral SIGINT suite, outfit the mission cabin, add military and communications systems, and manage civil and military certification.
  • HENSOLDT serves as prime contractor for the PEGASUS system, Lufthansa Technik Defense is the prime subcontractor for aircraft procurement and modification, and Bombardier Defense supplies the platform and engineering support.
  • PEGASUS will deliver airborne signals intelligence capabilities such as detection, interception, classification, and geolocation to support German national tasks and NATO operations.
  • Integration and qualification are expected to take several years, with initial operational capability targeted later in the 2020s for a fleet that currently comprises three Global 6000 aircraft.