Just weeks after being awarded a roughly half-billion dollar contract by the US Air Force to upgrade more than 100 legacy Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules tactical transports, L3 Technologies has come to this year's show offering a similar modernisation package for international operators.
The company's Integrated Aerospace Systems unit says it is now offering its C-130 Avionics Modernization Package, based on the USAF's C-130H upgrade programme – known as the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program Increment 2.
On 6 June, L3 announced that it had been awarded a $499 million contract to upgrade 176 C-130H aircraft belonging to both the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
"Having the only US Air Force-certified solution that is flying in both the US and international fleets today reduces risk, cost and time-to-field for customers with mission-critical requirements," says Jon Piatt, vice-president and general manager of L3's Integrated Aerospace Systems business area.
"We work closely with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex C-130 Foreign Military Sales programme office and look forward to offering this qualified and affordable upgrade solution."
The modernisation includes the integration of a qualified communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) avionics suite that can be installed on any C-130H variant at the company's facilities in Waco, Texas.
Under the USAF’s broader upgrade, National Guard and Reserve aircraft will also be fitted with Collins Aerospace NP2000 eight-bladed propeller systems – improving operational performance and reducing maintenance costs – and will also receive a Series 3.5 upgrade to their Rolls-Royce T56 engines.
Meanwhile, L3's electro-optical/infrared sensor business, Wescam, announced at the show that it had record orders for its MX series of sensors in the first quarter of this year. Orders amounted to $120 million during the period, building on what was a record year for the equipment in 2018.
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Source: Flight Daily News
