WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) -- If you have seen a slightly different plane flying over Wichita, it may be Bombardier Defense's PEGASUS aircraft. On Wednesday, the company celebrated the plane's successful first flight. The plane is a modified Global 6000. Bombardier Defense and two other companies, HENSOLDT and Lufthansa Technik Defense, are modifying three of the planes for the German Armed Forces' Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (PEGASUS) program. "We've modified the aircraft significantly. We've made some structural modifications, some system modifications," Steve Patrick, Bombardier Defense vice president, said. Bombardier Defense, HENSOLDT, and Lufthansa Technik Defense's PEGASUS in Wichita. (Courtesy Bombardier)Bombardier Defense, HENSOLDT, and Lufthansa Technik Defense's PEGASUS in Wichita. (Courtesy Bombardier)Bombardier Defense, HENSOLDT, and Lufthansa Technik Defense's PEGASUS in Wichita. (Courtesy Bombardier)Bombardier Defense, HENSOLDT, and Lufthansa Technik Defense's PEGASUS in Wichita. (Courtesy Bombardier) Representatives from the companies and the German Armed Forces traveled to Wichita to celebrate the aircraft being one step closer to entering service. "The aircraft actually flew for the first time in the second half of September," Patrick said. "Since then, we've been flying the aircraft on a regular basis. The aircraft is performing very well. We had a very successful first flight. We were able to open the entire flight envelope, and ... the test pilots confirmed that the aircraft handles as expected and flies very much like a Global." Boeing reports $6 billion quarterly loss as striking workers vote whether to accept contract offer A vice president at HENSOLDT said the company knew the Bombardier Global 6000 was the best possible platform for the system to function. "There was good reason why we ended up on your doorstep," Jürgen Halder told Patrick. "The Global gives us this excellent flying capabilities, and at the very end, we need to expand to the limits, the mission time on station." "The changes we made between Hamburg, Ulm and Wichita and feverous discussions and adding to the designs, this is not a formal conclusion, this is a tremendous, tremendous success," he said. The plane will remain in Wichita for more flight testing. When the initial testing is done, it will be transferred to Lufthansa Technik Defense in Hamburg for more integration work. The planes will integrate the HENSOLDT “Kalætron Integral” signals intelligence (SIGINT) system for airborne surveillance missions. Bombardier plans to deliver the second and third aircraft over the coming months. "The PEGASUS program is a prime example of what we aim to do in Wichita -- collaborate with our partners, whether they be international or domestic, to transform our aircraft from the traditional business jet into a special mission aircraft," Patrick said. He said Wichita employees can expect to stay busy. "I think the defense organization in Wichita does plan to grow over the coming years," Patrick said. "We work closely with our colleagues in the services, in the aftermarket division. Clearly, the work that we do here needs to be supported in the aftermarket, and that support will come from Wichita." He later added, "The future looks really good for us."