The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded sensor solutions provider Hensoldt a contract to develop the airborne electronic signals intelligence system PEGASUS for the German Air Force.
The contract for the development, production and integration of the signal-capturing reconnaissance system PEGASUS (Persistant German Airborne Surveillance Systems) was signed on June 29.
The system will consist of three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft and associated evaluation stations. Hensoldt will act as general contractor and is also responsible for the production of the entire reconnaissance technology.
Lufthansa Technik, based in Hamburg, is responsible for the procurement of the aircraft from the manufacturer Bombardier and their modification (cabin conversion, installation of reconnaissance technology).
Delivery of the first system is scheduled for 2026, with all deliveries set to conclude in 2028.
Germany was without an airborne system for signals intelligence (SIGINT) since the retirement of the Breguet Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft in 2010. The PEGASUS contract will allow the country to close this capability gap.
The country is also renewing its sea based intelligence gathering capability with the purchase of a new class of spy ships that will be built by Lürssen.
“PEGASUS is of great industrial policy importance for Germany as a whole as a high-tech location. The overall responsibility for the system lies in Germany and the value creation largely takes place through national companies,” said Hensoldt CEO Thomas Müller. “This gives the Bundeswehr unrestricted access to all the technologies used.”
“We have developed the modular and high-performance Hensoldt reconnaissance solution Kalaetron on the basis of the already flight-proven ISIS reconnaissance system. Kalaetron offers unique reconnaissance capabilities based on powerful German key technology. PEGASUS thus forms the core for a sovereign reconnaissance network and the basis for future capability development in the field of self-protection and electronic warfare,” said Celia Pelaz, HENSOLDT’s head of strategy and head of the Spectrum Dominance and Airborne Solutions Division.
