Pegasus Caelus
C-35M Pegasus Caelus Utility Airlift Aircraft
Pegasus Caelus is the Republic Air Force's utility airlift and medical evacuation aircraft. Operated as the C-35, it fills the gap between helicopters and larger transports, carrying passengers, small cargo, medical teams and priority equipment into airfields too small or too quiet to justify a Terra Phantom.
The controlling C-35 production-block, propulsion, layout, sensory and allowance record is RA-FW-035 in Aircraft of the Republic.
Technical Specifications
- Role: Utility airlift, medical evacuation, airborne assault support and search-and-rescue logistics.
- Crew: Four: pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and loadmaster.
- Payload: Up to 7.5 tonnes.
- Range: Up to 2,360 km.
- Air Force holdings in 2026: 312, including operational, training, reserve and stored aircraft.
- Manufacturer: Griffin Aerospace.
Avionics and Sensors
The C-35M uses the AFR-35M Clearway weather and terrain radar from SecureWing Avionics. The system supports bad-weather approach, route weather avoidance and awareness around austere landing sites. A AFC-35M Lifeline medical and logistics datalink, also supplied by SecureWing, allows hospitals, emergency agencies and air-movement controllers to follow patient categories, cabin oxygen status and priority cargo. The AFN-35K Suretrack navigation suite from QuantumNav Systems provides reliable route guidance where civil aids are damaged or unavailable.
Operational Use
The Pegasus Caelus is common at state emergencies because it can move a useful load without the footprint of a heavy transport. Its avionics are deliberately practical: crews need to find a wet regional runway, confirm the medical cabin, pass arrival data to ambulances and depart again with minimal ground support.
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