HENSOLDT, Lufthansa Technik Defense and Bombardier Defense have reached another key milestone in the PEGASUS (Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System) program: the first aircraft has successfully arrived in Germany. Following its transatlantic flight from Bombardier’s facility in Wichita, Kansas, the aircraft has landed at Lufthansa Technik’s headquarters in Hamburg last week, where the next major phase of the program will now begin.

Led by national electromagnetic warfare champion HENSOLDT and employing the extensive special mission aircraft capabilities of Lufthansa Technik, the German MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) specialist, and of Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, the PEGASUS program will provide the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) with a state-of-the-art airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability. The arrival of the first aircraft marks the transition from platform design and development in the United States to the mission system integration and certification phase in Germany.

“This delivery marks a decisive step towards operational capability,” said Juergen Halder, Vice President Airborne SIGINT at HENSOLDT. “With the arrival of the first aircraft in Hamburg, we are entering the crucial phase of system integration and qualification. Together with our partners, we are now moving from design and test into full implementation — bringing the next generation of airborne intelligence to life.”

“Bombardier’s high-performing Global aircraft are the go-to choice for the most demanding government missions around the world,” said Steve Patrick, Vice President, Bombardier Defense. “We are proud to collaborate with HENSOLDT and Lufthansa Technik to help bring this next-generation signals intelligence aircraft to the German Armed Forces.”

At Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, the next steps will include the integration of the SIGINT system based on HENSOLDT’s Kalaetron Integral, the installation of the mission cabin, and the integration of additional military and communication systems. Moreover, the company will handle both civil and military certification of the aircraft. In parallel, preparations for entry-into-service support are already underway — including training of technical and flight personnel and the creation and provision of technical documentation — to ensure a smooth transition into operational use.

“Seeing the PEGASUS aircraft returning to Hamburg for their important next chapter is a proud moment for our teams,” said Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik. “This milestone marks the start of an exciting new phase in which we will bring together technology, craftsmanship, and special mission aircraft expertise to deliver one of the most advanced airborne intelligence platforms ever built.”

HENSOLDT acts as general contractor and holds overall responsibility for the realisation of the PEGASUS weapon system itself as well as the ground station, training facility and data analysis capabilities. Lufthansa Technik Defense serves as prime subcontractor, procuring and modifying the aircraft and integrating the reconnaissance system developed by HENSOLDT. Bombardier Defense provides the high-performance Global 6000 platform and supports the program with its engineering and flight-testing expertise.

Boeing and Lufthansa Technik Defense today signed a multi-year contract on comprehensive technical sustainment services for the growing fleet of the German Navy’s eight P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the first of which was delivered earlier this month. The agreed work scope will include nearly all product segments of the global Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) company, from aircraft maintenance and engine support services via component supply to operations management and technical training. The several decades of experience in maintaining the Boeing 737 – the technical basis for the P-8A Poseidon – allows Lufthansa Technik to support the German Navy with a nearly unrivalled expertise for this aircraft type.

“This new contract expands our military MRO portfolio to include its first weapon-bearing aircraft system and further strengthens its long-standing and trusted partnership with the German Armed Forces,” said Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President Special Aircraft Services & Defense at Lufthansa Technik. “The company plays a vital role in ensuring the operational readiness of this new weapon system and, in the spirit of Germany’s “Zeitenwende” [turning point] in security policy, contributes to the strengthening of national defense capabilities.”

Lufthansa Technik will provide the Navy with comprehensive Aircraft Maintenance Services right from the start of the German P-8A operations. The company’s headquarters in Hamburg will become a mainstay for both Line Maintenance (in-service checks) and Base Maintenance Services (heavy airframe and system checks) on the Poseidon. With this agreement, Germany is Lufthansa Technik Defense’s third P-8 customer,  after New Zealand and India.

To ensure the reliable supply of spare parts, even in times of challenged global supply chains, Lufthansa Technik will support the German Navy’s P-8A operations from its Aircraft Component Services segment. The company’s Total Component Support provides the Navy with access to Lufthansa Technik’s dedicated pool of P-8 commercial spare parts. Open-loop exchanges with Lufthansa Technik enable the Navy to directly replace any unserviceable aircraft components without waiting for repairs. This reduces spare-part related aircraft downtimes to a minimum and significantly increases the operational readiness of the German Poseidon fleet. In addition, Lufthansa Technik will ensure the constant supply of Consumables and Expendables, such as bearings, fasteners or lubricants.

To maximize both efficiency and time-on-wing of the P-8A’s engines, especially in their usually rough operating environment flying over salt water, Lufthansa Technik will also conduct a dedicated Engine Condition Monitoring. This ensures that faults and defects are detected early in the two Poseidon CFM56-7B power plants, precisely identifying any forms of performance degradation and thus preventing unscheduled removals and unnecessary run-ups. This will help maintain the robust and economic operation of the German Poseidon fleet.

“Over the decades, we have had thousands of Boeing 737s visit our hangars. Servicing nearly all of these subtypes has given us unrivalled expertise for this aircraft type, which we are more than happy to employ in the maintenance of the P-8A as its military derivative,” added Michael von Puttkamer. “All the services we proudly provide to the service people of the German Navy are united in one common goal: to ensure the highest possible operational readiness for their most-modern flying asset, whose reliable services have become more important than ever.”

Lufthansa Technik and its subsidiary Lufthansa Technical Training began supporting the qualification of German Navy personnel for the P-8A long before the German Poseidon’s entry into service. Since then, more than 20 technicians have meanwhile completed the multi-stage training course (practical and on-the-job training) for the baseline Boeing 737NG, and only a quick differentiation course is then required to also qualify for the military derivative.

To be ready for P-8A services from day one, Lufthansa Technik has actively procured the necessary tooling and ground servicing equipment (GSE) for the German Navy: from aircraft stairs via hydraulic units to towing tooling. The experts of the MRO company will perform the required perodic calibration of tools and GSE. Lufthansa Technik’s Technical Operation Center in Hamburg will have a dedicated technical helpdesk to support the German Navy.

The Boeing P-8A is a highly capable multi-role maritime patrol and submarine-hunting aircraft based on the popular Boeing 737 jetliner. Following the initial procurement of five P-8A aircraft in June 2021 – to replace the country’s aging fleet of P-3 Orions – Germany added three additional aircraft in 2023 to bring the total number of P-8As for its Navy to eight. Next to Boeing and Lufthansa Technik, ESG Elektroniksystem-und Logistik-GmbH (now a HENSOLDT company) is also part of the German industry team ensuring highest operational availability for the German Navy’s missions. Overall, there are 200 Boeing P-8s currently in service or on order across nine countries including the United States, Australia, India, United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Germany, and Canada.

The German Air Force's Airbus A321LR, modified by Lufthansa Technik in the past years not only for troop transport missions but also for the strategic airlift of patients, recently completed its first training mission in the so-called MedEvac (Medical Evacuation) role. During the “Resilient Care” exercise, conducted jointly with NATO partners Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands, one of the two aircraft served for the first time as the centerpiece of realistic training in the evacuation of people from a fictitious conflict zone.

The aim of the multinational exercise, which also involved civilian authorities, was to train the handling and treatment of a high volume of patients on NATO's northern flank in the context of national and alliance defense. Procedures ranging from first aid and further medical treatment to patient transfer into other countries were practiced in a realistic manner. For the German Air Force, this marked the first extensive participation in this exercise within its Aeromedical Evacuation field of expertise.

Lufthansa Technik had extensively modified the two aircraft with the tactical markings 15+10 and 15+11 for this very role. As a result, they are available to the German Armed Forces in a total of four different configurations: one for troop and delegation transport and three for medical evacuations. The latter enable the simultaneous transport of up to six intensive care patients and up to twelve patients with minor or moderate illnesses/injuries. A mixed configuration of intensive care beds and troop transport capabilities can be set up as well.

“The ability to conduct medical evacuations by air is of great strategic importance, especially in these challenging times of geopolitical uncertainty,” explained Michael von Puttkamer, Vice President Special Aircraft Services at Lufthansa Technik. “This makes me all the more proud that we have once again been able to provide the German Armed Forces with a state-of-the-art, enormously versatile and long-range tool for this important role. Our extensive expertise in aeromedical solutions and, on top of that, in most complex aircraft modifications has once again been impressively combined here, for which I would like to express my appreciation to everyone involved.”

The linchpin for intensive care transport in the A321LR is the so-called Patient Transport Unit New Generation (PTU NG) developed by Lufthansa Technik, which not only meets all requirements for modern medical equipment, relevant medical standards and flight safety requirements, but also NATO specifications. Lufthansa Technik's nearly 30 years of experience in military and civilian use of the PTU, as well as its intensive certification tests, guarantee the German Armed Forces a robust and reliable product that is ready for use at any time when needed.

The cabin of both aircraft, developed in Hamburg in close collaboration with military medical personnel and physicians, is also modular and highly flexible in design, for example with foldable cabin monuments that can enlarge the entrance area. On the one hand, this enables the German Armed Forces to bring lying-down patients on and off board as seamless and gently as possible without having to reposition them to another bed. On the other hand, even the most extensive medical equipment can be installed quickly and easily in the cabin. In addition, up to 72,000 liters of oxygen can be carried safely and readily accessible during flight for life-saving patient care.