Marshall’s engineering team has completed a series of modifications to enhance the navigational capabilities of the Austrian Air Force’s fleet of three C-130K aircraft.
The final aircraft to receive these upgrades departed Marshall’s Cambridge on Friday, 30 August, following a visit by a delegation including the Austrian Ambassador to the UK.
The Austrian Air Force (AAF) has been a Marshall customer since 2003, after purchasing three former RAF aircraft from the UK Ministry of Defence. Marshall had previously carried out extensive modifications aiming to address obsolescence, regulatory and operational requirements, including the installation of a new flight management system (FMS) and night vision imaging system (NVIS) in 2017.
Having flown the upgraded aircraft for several years, in 2020 the AAF identified several areas to improve navigation functions and availability, and proposed a joint investigation and development project with Marshall to design a bespoke suite of modifications.
Requirements identified by the AAF included coupling the GPS landing system sensor units (GLSSU) approach capability to the flight director/autopilot, changes to the magnetic heading display and the display of computed air release point (CARP) profile on the multi-function display (MFD).
The requirements also comprised of including the display of vertical speed on the integrated secondary flight display (iSFD) and a second bearing pointer on the electronic horizontal situation indicator (EHSI).
Once the upgrade package had been agreed, the installation of the equipment on to each C-130K aircraft was carried out by Marshall engineers in Cambridge.
Marshall subsequently conducted a test program to verify correct installation and operation, including avionics rig testing, ground testing, and flight testing. Once verification and certification had been completed, the aircraft were released to the AAF.
Gareth Williams, chief operating officer, Marshall Aerospace said, “These upgrades for the AAF are a perfect example of our end-to-end engineering capabilities in action. We were able to partner with the customer from defining operational requirements through to developing a bespoke program and testing and certification.
“This program also demonstrates how the useful lifespan and capabilities of a legacy aircraft can be maximized through a carefully-planned cycle of upgrades.”
Col. Weichselberger, from the Austrian Air Force said, “We are proud of the strong relationship the AAF and Marshall have cultivated since 2003.
“The completion of this major navigation upgrade is a testament to the capabilities and expertise of Marshall’s team, and will yield significant operational benefits for our C-130K fleet.”
Marshall has recently carried out avionics and navigational upgrades on legacy C-130 aircraft including a cockpit upgrade program for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and an ongoing series of ADS-B and secondary flight display modifications for the South African Air Force.
