Hensoldt Pegasus

The PEGASUS (an abbreviation of "persistent German airborne surveillance system") is a project to provide the Bundeswehr with signal-detecting airborne long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capability with three systems (mission system for signal detection and carrier platform).

PEGASUS
General information
Role	SIGINT and reconnaissance
National origin	Germany Canada United States
Manufacturer	General contractor: Hensoldt Sub-contractors / systems supplies: Hensoldt Bombardier Aviation Bombardier Defense Lufthansa Technik Defense
Service	German Air Force
Number built	3 (being manufactured)
History
Manufactured	Since 2022
Introduction date	Planned for 2026
Initiated	June 2021
Developed from	Global 6000

The PEGASUS is intended to record military radio traffic and radar emissions in order to create situation reports and obtain data for self-protection systems. The project is intended to contribute to early crisis detection, situation assessment as part of crisis preparedness and the determination of the threat situation in areas of interest and potential areas of operation.

Origin

With the decommissioning of the German Navy's Breguet 1150 M Atlantic in 2010, there is a capability gap in the Bundeswehr in the area of signal-detecting airborne long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capability in 2010.^[1]

The RQ-4 Global Hawk drone (naval MQ-4C Triton spy drone variant) were originally intended as the delivery system, but at the beginning of 2020 it was announced that the delivery system would consist of a crewed aircraft based on the Bombardier Global 6000. This decision is justified by the cost of the drones ($2.5 billion) and the risk not meeting the operational deadline of 2025 due to European safety standards for uncrewed aircraft's access to the civilian airspace.^[2][3]

The PEGASUS project includes three aircraft with the mission systems, an evaluation system, a reference system and a training system and has a financial volume of around €1.54 billion^[4]

Mock-up of the Pegasus

Development

The PEGASUS project includes three aircraft with the mission systems, an evaluation system, a reference system and a training system and has a financial volume of around 1.54 billion euros^[4]

The general contractor is Hensoldt. Lufthansa Technik is responsible for the aircraft themselves. A total of almost 30 companies from Germany are involved in the project.^[5]

The so-called 25 million bill for the project was submitted to the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag in June 2021. As of 2023, the project was in the implementation phase. Since 2023, financing has come from the Bundeswehr special fund. The basic qualification for the SLWÜA should be achieved in 2027. The first flight of PEGASUS finally took place at the Bombardier site in Wichita in the second half of September 2024. PEGASUS is to be stationed at Tactical Air Force Squadron 51 "Immelmann" at Schleswig Air Base.^[6]

In addition to Pegasus as an airborne project, the Fleet Service Boat Class 424 project serves to maintain capabilities in the area of signal-detecting sea-based long-range surveillance and reconnaissance.^[7][8]

Orders

Future operators

Germany (3)

On the 29 June 2021, the BAAINBw signed the contract to purchase 3 PEGASUS aircraft, and it includes an evaluation system, a reference system and a training system. The aircraft are planned to be delivered from 2026 to 2028.^[9][10][11]

Potential purchases

Germany

Hensoldt hinted in October 2024 that there would be additional aircraft purchased by the German Air Force as three aircraft seem insufficient for the needs.^[12]

Literature

• Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, Abteilung Rüstung, Referat Rü I 4 (Hrsg.): 19. Bericht des Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung zu Rüstungsangelegenheiten (19. Rüstungsbericht): Teil 1. Berlin 30. April 2024, S. 49–51 (bmvg.de [PDF]).