Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) is displaying its Cockpit 9000 upgrade solution for C-130 and other transport aircraft at this year’s Dubai Airshow (Stand 1451). The integrated avionics system can extend the service life of a 20- to 40-year-old aircraft by another 30 years at a fraction of the cost of a new aircraft, the company contends.

“Our Cockpit 9000 avionics architecture is easily configurable to the many existing variants of C-130 aircraft,” said Jean-Michel Comtois, CMC Electronics vice president of sales for government and public affairs. “This night-vision compatible upgrade solution has allowed our customers’ C-130 aircraft to meet all current P-RNAV [(precision area navigation]) requirements and brings the aircraft into full compliance (with) civil airspace operations worldwide, while enhancing mission effectiveness and eliminating critical avionics obsolescence issues.”

CMC Electronics (Stand 1451) said it hads performed systems integration of C-130 cockpit upgrades for 10 international customers, including air forces in Austria, Brazil, Chile, Dubai, France, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

At the core of the Cockpit 9000 system is the CMC Electronics’ latest generation CMC CMA-9000 flight management system (FMS). The CMA-9000 is a family of compact FMS variants that is suited for digital cockpits in both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

CMC Electronics is supplying the CMA-9000 FMS and SparrowHawk head-up display (HUD) subsystem as a standard fit for Pilatus PC-21 trainers selected by the Royal Saudi Air Force (55 aircraft) and Qatar Emiri Air Force (24 aircraft). Switzerland, Singapore and the UAE have also procured PC-21s. o