CMC Electronics To Complete Deliveries For Avionics Upgrade of U.S. Navy F-14B Fleet
Upgrade Includes New HUD, Mission Processor and Head Down Displays
(Montreal, Quebec and Chicago, Illinois - July 7, 2003) CMC Electronics Inc. expects to complete an avionics upgrade program for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of F-14B fighters and deliver the final avionics upgrade packages to the Oceana Naval Air Station, Virginia, this month. The company was awarded the US$9 million avionics upgrade contract by Northrop Grumman in 1998.
Each avionics upgrade package includes CMC Electronics’ Sparrow Hawk Head Up Display (HUD), an FV-3000 Mission Display Processor System and a customized Head Down Display. To date, three squadrons have completed the avionics installation, with two additional unit squadrons scheduled for completion this summer.
“We are very pleased with the progress of this upgrade program,” said Bob Atac, CMC Electronics Vice President, Military Aviation. “This upgrade directly enhances the true combat capability of the proven and extremely capable F-14 Tomcat.”
According to F-14 pilots at Oceana, the upgrade has been eagerly anticipated and represents an enhancement that is paying immediate dividends in terms of mission performance, reduced pilot workload and realized maintenance savings.
“Compared to the old flat panel windscreen that we flew on the B model since the late 70s, the new HUD is the difference ‘between night and day’,” commented LCDR Keith “Rex” Harrison, a pilot assigned to VF-101, Oceana’s training squadron. “Now, we’re right up there with the F-14 D model in terms of mission capability,” he added.
The HUD’s dual combiner glass provides the pilot with double the field of view, more accurate symbol placement, a working velocity vector and the flexibility to change functions. The HUD is mounted in the pilot’s direct forward field of view and projects real-world, real-time on-board flight information on two glass combiners. The graphical display of aircraft instrumentation allows the pilot to assess aircraft performance and fly more precisely, while reducing “eyes-in-the-cockpit” during critical flight maneuvers and weapon delivery operations.
LCDR Harrison described the new HUD as “cleaner, clearer and less cluttered, which enabled us to make quicker, more reliable and accurate decisions, especially when engaged in close air-to-air combat or flying in the air-to-ground mode.”
The F-14 pilots at Oceana also agree that the new avionics upgrade contributes to flight safety and greater reliability. “Flying the old system, our RIO (Radar Intercept Officer) often called out backup information such as dive angle and air speed,” said one pilot. “With the new HUD, that’s not required. Now, the RIO can concentrate on his duties, enhancing our overall effectiveness and safety, especially when we’re engaged in carrier operations in adverse weather.”
Maintenance savings have also been influenced because the Sparrow Hawk HUD uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and is designed to use existing F-14B mountings and wiring.
First flight of the F-14B with the new avionics upgrades occurred in December 1999, just 14 months after contract award. Since that time, 11 aircraft in both VF-143 and VF-11 squadrons have been upgraded with the new avionics, and the VF-32 squadron has been deployed with a similar number of fighters. Yet to be completed are VF-103 and VF-101, both units based at Oceana.
CMC Electronics has earned an international reputation for the design and production of innovative, highly reliable military and commercial electronics products for the aviation, infrared sensing, global positioning and space markets. Systems integration, advanced avionics, navigation and communications systems and human factors engineering services, are the basis for the company's long-standing relationship with the armed forces of Canada, the United States and a host of other countries.
CMC’s principal locations are in Montreal, Quebec; Ottawa, Ontario; Cincinnati, OH and Chicago, IL.. CMC Electronics is a private company controlled by an investor group led by ONCAP L.P. ONCAP is a CDN $400 million investment fund established by Onex Corporation and a number of leading Canadian financial institutions. Onex Corporation is a diversified company with annual consolidated revenues of approximately CDN $24 billion and consolidated assets of approximately CDN $23 billion. Onex is Canada's 5th largest company with global operations in service, manufacturing and technology industries.
Contact
Janka Dvornik
Public Relations Manager
CMC Electronics Inc.
Telephone: (514) 748-3113
Fax: (514) 748-3184
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Mrs. Cathy Babos
Marketing Manager
CMC Electronics Inc.
Telephone: (630) 466-2112
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