Rockwell Collins has won the rights to upgrade the instrumentation at the Air Force’s test ranges as well as those of the Army and Navy. USAF chose Rockwell over Boeing, awarding an initial contract valued at $140 million—with options worth more—for delivery of the Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System, or CRIIS. This will replace the services’ 1980s-era range equipment with new gear that provides better data-collection capability, safety features, and ability to accurately evaluate complex new weapons. “Rockwell Collins’ proven technology, coupled with our open systems approach, enables the Air Force to deliver a low-risk solution for military test ranges,” said Ron Hornish, Rockwell’s head of precision strike solutions, in the company’s release. The Air Force expects to field the first increment of CRIIS mid-decade. Rockwell and Boeing had been maturing their respective CRIIS concepts since 2008.
Earlier this spring, the 388th Fighter Wing proved just 12 Airmen can operate an F-35 contingency location, refueling and rearming the fighters at spots across Georgia and South Carolina. The demonstration, part of exercise Agile Flag 23-1, marks yet another proof of concept for the Air Force’s plan to send…