Marking a significant milestone in the SIGINT capability recovery program for the German Air Force, it was recently reported that the new Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, configured in the PEGASUS version, has conducted its first flight. This brings the Bundeswehr closer to closing a capability gap that has been open for several years. For now, this flight represents the start of certification tests by civil aviation regulatory bodies, and it took place in the state of Kansas, USA.
In detail, the new aircraft is the result of the joint efforts of Bombardier, Lufthansa Technik Defense, and Hensoldt. The first company provided its facilities in the aforementioned state and supplies the original design of the aircraft on which various systems, making up the PEGASUS configuration, are installed—systems provided by Hensoldt itself. Specifically, this refers to its modern SIGINT system called Kalætron Integral.
It should be remembered that this last company joined the program in 2021, taking the lead as the main contractor responsible for the new platform. It was awarded a contract worth over 1 billion euros by the Bundeswehr to equip a total of three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft with its long-range signal detection, reconnaissance, and surveillance systems. By April of this year, the third aircraft had already been transported to the USA to undergo the necessary modifications prior to its first testing.
Once this certification phase is complete, for which more flights are still to be conducted, it is expected that the units will be brought to Germany for the integration of the final necessary sensors and for their performance evaluation. This will take place at the Lufthansa Technik Defense facility in Hamburg. According to local media reports, this should occur starting in the middle of next year. In the meantime, Hensoldt’s Spectrum Dominance Division Director, Dietmar Thelen, stated: “Today marks an important milestone for the PEGASUS program (…) With the integration of our Kalætron-Integral system, we are delivering key components that are essential for tomorrow’s reconnaissance.”
Finally, highlighting some of the known features of the Kalætron Integral system, it is worth mentioning that it is a highly automated SIGINT solution thanks to its big data management software integrated with artificial intelligence. This greatly facilitates the crew’s work by reducing their data processing load and shortening the time needed for decision-making. In terms of coverage, the system operates across a wide range from 30 MHz to 40 GHz, being capable of generating constant updates of the battlefield.
Image credits: Bundeswehr, Lufthansa Technik Defense, Hensoldt
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