Bombardier is flight testing the first of three Global 6000s being configured for signals intelligence roles with the German army. At an event in Wichita on Wednesday with program partners Hensoldt and Lufthansa Technik, the manufacturer confirmed the first aircraft has been flying since mid-September as it is prepared for delivery next year to Hamburg, where it will be fitted with Hensoldt’s Kalaetron Integral Sigint system.
The Global aircraft is the chosen platform for the Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (Pegasus) program. Systems integrator Lufthansa Technik Defense is expected to conduct flight trials with all the installed equipment in Germany in 2025 or 2026.
According to Bombardier Defense v-p Steve Patrick, the first Global 6000 will continue to be evaluated at the Canadian airframer’s Wichita Flight Test Center. Two more aircraft are being built and will begin missions testing once they are delivered to the German Army.
“This successful first flight is the result of strong collaboration and shared knowledge between Hensoldt, Lufthansa Technik Defense, Bombardier Defense, and our suppliers to get the modified, high-performing Global 6000 for the Pegasus program in the air,” Patrick said. “With flight testing regularly underway from Bombardier’s Wichita base, the aircraft continues to gather essential certification data to improve and perfect the platform before it moves to the next stage.”