29 November 2022

Bombardier begins PEGASUS work for Luftwaffe

by Gareth Jennings

The first of three Global 6000 airframes to be converted to the PEGASUS configuration for Germany was inducted into Bombardier's Wichita facility on 28 November. (Bombardier)

Bombardier has inducted the first Global 6000 business jet ahead of conversion to the Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (PEGASUS) configuration for Germany.

The first of three airframes for the Luftwaffe arrived at Bombardier's Wichita facility in Kansas on 28 November, where it will undergo PEGASUS foundation work ahead of integration of Hensoldt mission systems by Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg.

“Bombardier Defense will utilise its expertise to perform major structural modifications to accommodate the Kalaetron Integral signal intelligence (SIGINT) system developed by Hensoldt, which collects and analyses military signals from radar and radio systems,” the company said. “The integration of this system will subsequently be performed at Lufthansa Technik's special mission aircraft competence centre in Hamburg, Germany.”

Earlier based on the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk-derived RQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle, which itself was chosen after the Global Hawk-derived Euro Hawk was cancelled in 2013, the PEGASUS SIGINT capability was transferred to the manned Global 6000 host airframe in 2020.

“Bombardier Defense will now be transitioning to the aircraft modification phase after its engineering team developed precise and mission-specific-designed solutions. Bombardier Defense will then perform testing and required certification of the modified aircraft,” the company said.

Bombardier has inducted the first Global 6000 business jet ahead of conversion to the Persistent Ger...

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