Progress on the German PEGASUS programme
In August 2021, Germany confirmed plans to acquire a new strategic airborne SIGINT capability based on a fleet of modified Bombardier Global 6000 business jets.
Three Global 6000 jets will be rebuilt to execute the Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (PEGASUS) task. It is expected that by 2028, these platforms will be fully operational, filling the long-standing gap in SIGINT capacity.
On 5 June 2024, HENSOLDT, Lufthansa Technik Defence, and Bombardier Defence announced at the ILA Berlin 2024 airshow that the highly-specialised modification work on PEGASUS has achieved a significant milestone.
Led by HENSOLDT for the German armed forces, the PEGASUS signal intelligence (SIGINT) system will be integrated into the Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, the optimal platform for these critical missions. Bombardier was tasked with the foundational modification work package, collaborating with Lufthansa Technik Defence, who will complete the system integration at its special-mission center in Hamburg, Germany. The first aircraft has now rolled out from the Bombardier Defence modification line in Wichita and is being prepared for ground testing and subsequent flight. The remaining two aircraft are undergoing modifications at Bombardier’s facility.
Once ready, the three SIGINT platforms will be based at Schleswig-Jagel Air Base, joining the Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader (TLG) 51 Immelmann. This unique squadron will consist of a mix of manned (Tornado ECR and Global 6500) and unmanned (IAI Heron UAS) aircraft. The Heron UAS is expected to arrive at Jagel by the end of 2023. The Tornado ECR will be replaced by the Eurofighter Typhoon Electronic Cobat aircraft.
Credit photo: via Lufthansa Technik