What Happened
Germany's PEGASUS Signals Intelligence Program Enters System Integration Phase
The first aircraft for Germany’s PEGASUS airborne signals intelligence program has arrived in Hamburg, marking the start of system integration and certification work ahead of entry into service. The aircraft, based on the Bombardier Global 6000 business jet, will undergo modification and mission-system installation at Lufthansa Technik. The PEGASUS system is designed to conduct airborne signals intelligence missions, including detection, interception, classification, and geolocation of electromagnetic emissions. This marks a significant step towards the development of Germany’s airborne signals intelligence capability, with the program currently including three Global 6000-based aircraft. The system is expected to support both national and NATO intelligence requirements, and initial operational capability is expected later in the 2020s. According to AeroTime, the PEGASUS program is intended to restore Germany’s airborne signals intelligence capacity after the retirement of older reconnaissance aircraft such as the German Navy’s Breguet Atlantic aircraft.