The aircraft in qusetion is a pre-owned Bombardier Global 6000, previously registered in the civil register as a business jet belonging to the Austrian operator Skyside. The German Armed Forces will use the aircraft as a training platform for pilots as part of the Pegasus program. This program also involves the development of three reconnaissance aircraft based on the same model, which are being converted in collaboration with Lufthansa Technik and Hensoldt. According to a spokesperson for the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr, the aircraft was specifically procured for this training project.
Our partner Richard Prechtel and the Aviation Desk team managed the entire transaction. They found the process highly educational, as the acquisition of a civilian aircraft by a military buyer raises questions rarely encountered in our day-to-day business. On the contractual side, this included navigating the parliamentary approval requirements for such a transaction. On the practical side, it involved determining the steps a buyer must take to transfer an aircraft from the civilian to the military aircraft register. Neither of these issues could simply be resolved using off-the-shelf forms; instead, they required individual consultation with the relevant authorities.
A full report with further background on the aircraft and the Pegasus program was published in aeroTELEGRAPH: German Armed Forces purchase business jet from Austria (Timo Nowack, August 8, 2026).
