RAF C-130K Upgrade
Obviously a bit of life left in the old dog yet.
Jane's:
The UK Royal Air Force is to have part of its long-term fleet of 25 Lockheed C-130K Hercules C.1 airlifters equipped with what is described as "an enhanced vision system". Marshall Aerospace of Cambridge, UK, was appointed prime contractor and systems integrator under the terms of a contract awarded this summer.
As aircraft design authority (under Lockheed Martin auspices), Marshall is leading a team comprising the following:
· BAE Systems Avionics, providing the Titan 385 multisensor turret, a fixed low-light TV camera array and an imaging framing store; plus a Honeywell 764G embedded GPS/inertial navigation system which includes the BAE Systems TERPROM terrain-awareness and warning system.
· QinetiQ, providing an advanced mission computer and sensor-augmented display image enhancement system.
· BarcoView, providing flat-panel avionics displays.
· Io Limited, providing data-entry and audio-warning systems.
· Goodrich Sensor Systems, providing the digital air-data computer and a total air- temperature sensor.
According to the UK's Defence Logistics Organisation, work on the contract.......began in August and is due to be completed by the beginning of 2004.....
Once complete, the Hercules equipped with this new system will have a state-of-the-art thermal night-vision system with many uses beyond enhancing flight safety at night.
Last edited by ORAC; 4th Nov 2002 at 20:02.