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    1. Commercial Aerospace

    Flight management system from CMC Electronics selected for U.S. Air Force KC-10 Tanker fleet upgrade

    Oct. 6, 2010
    MONTREAL, 6 Oct. 2010. Boeing selected Esterline Corp. subsidiary CMC Electronics (CMC) to supply the flight management system (FMS), known as the CMA-9000, for the avionics upgrade of the U.S. Air Force's KC-10 fleet of 59 tanker jets. The KC-10 Tanker Fleet Upgrade Program will involve the installation of dual CMC CMA-9000 FMSs plus multi-function control and display units, providing Precision Area Navigation (PRNAV) and FANS1 datalink capability, as well as several tactical functions that enhance the KC-10's performance.
    Pennwell web 120 140
    Pennwell web 120 140
    Posted by John McHale MONTREAL, 6 Oct. 2010. Boeing selected Esterline Corp. subsidiary CMC Electronics (CMC) to supply the flight management system (FMS), known as the CMA-9000, for the avionics upgrade of the U.S. Air Force's KC-10 fleet of 59 tanker jets. The KC-10 Tanker Fleet Upgrade Program will involve the installation of dual CMC CMA-9000 FMSs plus multi-function control and display units, providing Precision Area Navigation (PRNAV) and FANS1 datalink capability, as well as several tactical functions that enhance the KC-10's performance. The KC-10 upgrade will allow the fleet to comply with the forecasted 2015 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards for the communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system, which permit shared access within both civil and military airspace and enable tanker refueling operations worldwide. "As air traffic continues to increase, modern CNS/ATM systems become essential for communicating precise flight data and obtaining the most direct routing," says Mike Harris, Boeing vice president of weapon systems modernization. "This upgrade is critical to the Air Force for pilots' safety, mission effectiveness, and lower operational costs."The five-year contract draws on design and development work performed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security and Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The first airplane will be modified and flight tested in 2012. Boeing will complete and deliver the final KC-10 modification in 2015. "With our CMA-9000 FMS already established on military trainer and air transport aircraft, this key program will enable us to further position CMC as a leader for avionics upgrade programs," says Brad Lawrence, president and chief executive officer of EsterlineThe CMA-9000 is a family of compact FMS variants that is suited for modern digital cockpits in fixed and rotary wing aircraft for both civil and military applications. It is derived from the company's CMA-900 FMS/GPS and CMA-3000 helicopter FMS. The single unit CMA-9000 has civil certified multi-sensor (GPS, INS, and DME) navigation capabilities. It conforms to the ARINC-739 multifunction control display unit standard, making it suitable as a display and control unit for other systems such as ACARS, ACMS, and satellite communications.It also has the capability to act as a radio management unit.

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