Rockwell Collins will upgrade the communication and navigation gear in the Air Force’s fleet of EC-130H electronic warfare aircraft, announced the company on Tuesday. The new communication, navigation, and surveillance/air traffic management equipment will “meet present and future civil airspace requirements,” said Troy Brunk, Rockwell Collins’ general manager of airborne solutions, in the company’s May 7 release. Rockwell is a subcontractor to L-3, which is the prime vendor for this work. The CNS/ATM gear will also address issues with diminishing manufacturing sources, thereby lowering lifecycle costs, according to the release. “This program will provide Air Force EC-130H pilots with some of the most advanced communication and navigation equipment along with improved situational awareness to help them accomplish their missions,” states the release.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.