Rockwell Collins completes final cockpit upgrade for U.S. Air Force KC-10 tanker aircraft fleet

Rockwell Collins has completed the 59th and final U.S. Air Force KC-10 cockpit upgrade with its Flight2 integrated avionics system. The upgrade was part of a six-year contract to bring the Air Force KC-10 fleet into compliance with new CNS/ATM mandates for accessing global airspace. “With our new avionics onboard, KC-10 pilots enjoy situational awareness and communications improvements as well as more direct routing and reduced fuel consumption,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions at Rockwell Collins. “The completion of this program adds to our long history of successful, low-risk CNS/ATM upgrades to keep Air Force aircraft in service longer.” Over the course of the KC-10 upgrade program, Rockwell Collins maintained the required FAA and military aircraft certifications and performed flights tests for the Air Force with reserve KC-10 pilots and contract crews. As the prime contractor, the company performed dual certification and flight testing to reduce costs and improve scheduling time.