Oman C-130s to get integrated avionics upgrade

Above: A  Royal Air Force of Oman C-130H Hercules.

The Rockwell Collins Flight2 avionics system will provide the Royal Air Force of Oman C-130 aircraft with unrestricted access to global airspace by meeting Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) airspace requirements that are currently identified.

Included in the avionics upgrade are new primary flight displays, state-of-the-art flight management system, autopilot, communication radios, navigation sensors and surveillance systems including MultiScan Hazard Detection Weather Radar, Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System, Terrain Awareness and Warning System and digital map. The upgrade of the three planes will provide the Oman Air Force with state-of-the-art capabilities consistent with the world's leading C-130 operators.

"The use of LynxOS-178 in the Rockwell Collins Flight2 system is the latest example of its pedigree in critical avionics flight deck programmes," stated Robert Day, VP of LynuxWorks, Inc. "This is a testament that an open standards-based operating system can help maximise software reuse in airborne systems and can significantly reduce the time and cost of platform development and its subsequent certification."

Aircraft installation and integration will be performed by ST Aerospace, the prime contractor for this upgrade programme, at its facility in Singapore.