Boeing upgrades, tests NATO AWACS aircraft with Rockwell Collins avionics

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, 25 March 2015.The Boeing Company completed the first test flight of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with Flight2 integrated avionics system from Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The flight deck upgrade replaces existing analog instruments with a modern integrated avionics system that meets the 2020 Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) mandates. Rockwell Collins is providing large displays and controls, Flight Management System (FMS), and new communication and navigation equipment under the program.

NATO has contracted with Boeing to have another 13 AWACS aircraft upgraded with the same integrated avionics system. The U.S. Air Force has also contracted with Boeing for an upgraded AWACS with first flight of the U.S. AWACS planned for 2016. The upgrades will allow NATO and U.S. aircraft to meet current and future CNS/ATM airspace requirements.

“NATO and the U.S. Air Force operate the largest AWACS fleets in the world. After completion of the fleet upgrades, their pilots will benefit from having the most advanced avionics to help them accomplish their missions,” says Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions for Rockwell Collins.

Rockwell Collins develops and deploys communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. The company boasts expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, simulation and training, and information management.