Elbit Systems Military Transport Aircraft Upgrades

  Transport Aircraft Cockpit Upgrade

Elbit Systems has earned international recognition in the aircraft upgrade market and has maintained its leading position in the field.  Using its expertise as an integrator and developer of cutting edge next generation electronics defense systems, Elbit Systems has expanded its line to encompass such features as data link systems, data fusion expert systems and 3-D digital maps. With across-the-board capabilities and technologies, Elbit Systems is a world leader in addressing entire platforms and upgrading existing aircraft with enhanced performance, extended life and next-generation capabilities. In the majority of the large-scale programs it performs, Elbit Systems performs and manages multidisciplinary integration and lifecycle support. Additionally, it partners with local industries, leveraging capabilities and sharing know-how and expertise.

The company was recently awarded a contract by the Israel Ministry of Defense ("IMOD") to upgrade the Israeli Air Force's ("IAF") C-130H (Hercules) transport aircraft. The modernization project will extend the operational life of the aircraft and significantly improve its operational capability, particularly in precision flying, low-level night flight and operations in adverse weather. The modernization will contribute to improved flight safety and reduce operating costs, by introducing cutting-edge digital systems to replace obsolete analog systems that have become unreliable and costly to maintain after four decades of intensive service with the IAF.

In recent years, Elbit Systems has performed several upgrade projects for military transport aircraft, among them:

• Upgrade of the Korean Air Forces' C-130, in which the Company installed various types of advanced electronic systems and also converted the existing analog cockpit into a "Glass-Cockpit" using Elbit Systems' cutting-edge digital flight displays.

• Upgrade of the Romanian Air Forces' C-130 transport aircraft in which the Company installed various types of advanced electronic systems, including those produced by Elbit Systems EW and Sigint - Elisra. The project is executed in cooperation with local companies in Romania, lead by the Romanian Aeronautical Industry.

• The Brazilian Air Forces' C-95 freighter-wayfarer aircraft has also been upgraded by Elbit Systems' Brazilian subsidiary Aeroeletrônica (AEL). The program includes integration of advanced avionics such as digital maps, displays, advanced communication and navigation systems and additional advanced systems, aimed at improving the aircraft's performance and the pilot's survivability. These new, cutting edge avionics systems meet the high standards of newly manufactured aircraft, specifically in flight safety and mission performance in harsh weather conditions.

Additional achievements in the Military Transport  Aircraft field:

Elbit Systems recently announced a collaboration with Northrop Grumman for the development of Terrain Following and Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) System to Improve Tactical Low-Level Flight Safety for Military Transport Planes. This innovative system will enable pilots to fly and maneuver more safely in Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) flight mode under all weather conditions, day and night. 

Under the collaborative development, Elbit Systems’ TF/TA head-up display (TA/TF HUD) application is coupled with Northrop Grumman’s AN/APN-241 Terrain Following Radar for an avionic upgrade for existing or new C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The TF/TA HUD demonstrator is expected to fly within the upcoming year on an international customer's C-130 Transport Aircraft. The TF/TA system relies on a Digital Terrain Elevation Database and the Terrain Following Radar as an active sensor, driven and controlled by Elbit Systems’ Smart Displays. Implemented as part of a "Glass Cockpit" concept, the system is positioned as a competitive and attractive enhancement for C-130 modernization and upgrading. The system evolved in Elbit Systems’ Futures Lab, the company’s innovation center tasked with rapid prototyping and proof of concept evolving aerospace systems. The TF/TA system has already been selected for integration into an ongoing C-130 upgrade program. Northrop Grumman’s AN/APN-241 radar has been selected as the standard radar for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and Alenia C-27J transport aircraft. Additionally, the AN/APN-241 radar has been integrated and installed on the CASA C-295 transport aircraft.

Transport Aircraft Cockpit Upgrade