Germany considers PEGASUS fleet expansion

In a sign of shifting strategic priorities following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany is reportedly considering a significant expansion of its new airborne intelligence fleet. The German military may procure an additional three to six PEGASUS aircraft, a high-demand signals intelligence (SIGINT) platform, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The PEGASUS, or Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System, is a crucial project to restore Germany’s signals intelligence capabilities, which had been absent for a long time. The system is built around the Bombardier Global 6000 business jet, supplied by the Canadian company, and is fitted with a mission system for signal collection developed by the German sensor specialist Hensoldt.

To date, Germany has ordered three of these aircraft. Lufthansa Technik, based in Hamburg, is managing the procurement and integration of the intelligence technology, originally designed by Hensoldt for a large, long-range drone. According to a Lufthansa Technik spokesperson, the first aircraft, which has already undergone external modifications, is expected to return to Hamburg later this year. Once there, the company will begin installing the core SIGINT electronics.

The two other aircraft are currently undergoing flight trials at Bombardier Defense in the United States. Lufthansa Technik is also responsible for the system’s overall certification and the integration of both civilian and military avionics. The company has completed the design work for the interior and has begun production of internal components, ensuring a swift installation upon the aircraft’s arrival.

The initial order for the three SIGINT aircraft was placed just before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the security landscape has changed dramatically for NATO and Germany’s armed forces. The growing demand for such capabilities in Europe has been noted by industry leaders. During a late July conference call with analysts, Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre highlighted the strong market interest in SIGINT technologies. He suggested this heightened demand was partly due to the reduced availability of similar American systems.

Should the German government decide to proceed with additional aircraft, observers say it is likely to re-engage Hensoldt and its partners, given their experience with the system’s development and integration. This would also ensure logistical and operational consistency. A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defence declined to comment on specific details, stating only that the military continuously adapts its technical capabilities to meet the evolving threat landscape.

Calibre comment

It is common to describe a capability as critical and to some extent, most defence capabilities are. However, SIGINT is truly critical for NATO forces and the way that they seek to fight. SIGINT aircraft like PEGASUS and the RC-135 Rivet Joint provide important intelligence on the positioning of adversary air defence radars and their capabilities, as well as radio interception. This intelligence is layered with space-based reconnaissance, human intelligence, and reconnaissance to build an understanding of enemy defences and capabilities so that strike missions can be planned and coordinated for greater success. 

For a long time, Europe has fallen back on the US and Royal Air Force capabilities in this field, and the French, Italian, and Swedish air forces also maintain SIGINT fleets, which are summarised in the table below. A fleet of three aircraft will typically allow one to be on station at a time for a mission that requires persistent surveillance, so the fleet numbers can be deceptive. In any case, the significant uplift mooted by Hartpunkt’s sources should be seen as a welcome development for Europe and its ability to defend itself. 

This article was originally written by Lars Hoffman and published in German by Hartpunkt on August 15, 2025. It has been translated into English and edited by Calibre Defence. Credit for the lead image is Hensoldt.