Leonardo Selects Pegasus Hoist for Next-Gen Helicopter Rescue Tech

ANAHEIM, CA – February 25, 2026 – Global aerospace leader Leonardo has selected Onboard Systems Hoist & Winch’s new Pegasus™ rescue hoist for its helicopter portfolio, beginning with the highly successful AW139 platform. The agreement signals a major shift in aerial rescue technology, equipping one of the world's most popular helicopters with a next-generation system designed to meet stricter safety standards and deliver a significant leap in operational capability.

Announced today by Onboard Systems, the partnership will provide helicopter operators with an ETSO-certified hoist that promises enhanced reliability, simplified maintenance, and increased aircraft availability for critical search and rescue (SAR) and Human External Cargo (HEC) missions. The deal positions Onboard's parent company, Signia Aerospace, as a dominant force in the market, securing a premier launch customer for its most advanced product to date.

"Leonardo's commitment to innovation, performance, and safety makes them an ideal partner and launch customer for our Pegasus DC rescue hoist," said Mike Fox, Vice President of Sales at Signia Aerospace. "We are proud to support Leonardo in bringing next-generation hoist capability to operators worldwide."

A Technological Leap Forward

The Pegasus is not merely an update to an existing design; it represents Onboard Systems' first clean-sheet hoist redesign in over three decades. The result of nearly a decade of intensive research and development, the system is backed by 37 new design patents. This ambitious program incorporated feedback from over 1,000 hoist operators, maintenance personnel, and mission specialists worldwide to address real-world operational challenges.

At the core of its innovation is an integrated suite of advanced sensors and a health monitoring system called DASH (Data Acquisition Sensing and Health). This system provides aircrews with unprecedented real-time situational awareness, displaying critical data such as the precise load on the hook, cable payout, and any diagnostic issues. All operational data is logged for post-mission analysis, enabling a proactive approach to maintenance and fleet health management.

"Pegasus is the culmination of nearly a decade of innovative engineering, advanced analysis, robust testing, and prototyping using modern materials and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies," stated Bejan Maghsoodi, Senior Technical Fellow and the design architect for Pegasus.

Maintenance, a perennial concern for operators, has been a central focus of the redesign. The hoist features a modular architecture that allows for the quick replacement of individual components in the field, drastically reducing downtime. According to industry reports, tasks like cable changes can be performed in under 10 minutes without specialized tools, a dramatic improvement that directly translates to higher aircraft availability and mission readiness.

Meeting Stricter Safety Mandates

The development of the Pegasus hoist was driven in large part by an evolving and more stringent regulatory landscape. Aviation authorities, particularly the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), have introduced new standards to mitigate risks associated with hoist failures during HEC missions. The Pegasus is certified to the new EASA Technical Standard Order (ETSO-2C208), one of the most demanding safety certifications for this class of equipment.

This new standard mandates a host of safety enhancements that older hoist designs struggle to accommodate without significant modification. Key requirements include integrated overload protection, a secondary load path for redundancy, and comprehensive monitoring of operational parameters like load, cable fleet angle, and component temperatures. The Pegasus hoist's ground-up design and its DASH system were engineered specifically to meet and exceed these new requirements, setting a new benchmark for safety and compliance in the industry.

By adopting a fully compliant, next-generation system, Leonardo ensures its new and existing helicopter platforms remain at the forefront of global safety standards, providing a crucial advantage for operators engaged in life-or-death rescue scenarios.

Strategic Impact on the Aerospace Market

For Leonardo, integrating the Pegasus hoist is a strategic move to bolster the value proposition of its already formidable helicopter portfolio. The AW139 is a global best-seller, prized for its versatility in missions ranging from SAR and emergency medical services to offshore transport and law enforcement. Equipping it with the market's most advanced hoist enhances its competitive edge and appeals directly to operators prioritizing safety, reliability, and long-term operational costs.

For Onboard Systems and its parent, Signia Aerospace, this partnership is a landmark achievement. The selection by a premier original equipment manufacturer (OEM) like Leonardo serves as a powerful endorsement of the Pegasus technology. It also reflects a major market consolidation, coming after Signia Aerospace's 2024 acquisition of the Goodrich Hoist & Winch business from Collins Aerospace, which brought the Pegasus development program under the Onboard Systems brand. This deal solidifies the company's position as the undisputed leader in the helicopter hoist sector.

Operator-Focused Benefits and Fleet Modernization

Beyond the technical specifications and strategic implications, the true impact of the Pegasus hoist will be felt by the crews who rely on it daily. The focus on reliability and simplified maintenance directly addresses key pain points for fleet managers, promising to reduce the total cost of ownership and increase the number of aircraft ready to fly at a moment's notice.

Crucially, the benefits of the Pegasus are not limited to new aircraft. The hoist's compact and lightweight design was engineered to facilitate retrofitting on existing fleets. Onboard Systems and Leonardo will collaborate on developing upgrade kits for hoist-equipped aircraft currently in service, including the vast global fleet of AW139s. This provides a clear and simplified upgrade path for operators, allowing them to extend the life of their existing assets while bringing them up to the latest standards of performance and safety. This focus on fleet-wide modernization ensures that the substantial benefits of the Pegasus hoist can be realized across the broadest possible spectrum of operators, maximizing mission readiness for customers around the world.