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.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.