Rockwell Collins plans to double the size of its facility in São José dos Campos, Brazil, with construction to begin before the end of 2014.
When finished, the facility will be 19,000ft2, says a Rockwell spokesman.
The company, which has supplied military and civil avionics and aircraft system services from its Brazil facility for four decades, has already expanded its workforce there by 50% over the last three years to a staff of 46.
“We fully expect to continue with this rate of growth as we add customers and programs,” says the spokesman.
Rockwell’s service center based in São José dos Campos supports aircraft manufacturers Embraer, Helibras and others. Growing its Brazil operation is part of the company’s strategy to enhance its South American presence and strengthen its share of the Brazilian defence market. It also supplies multiple Latin American civil airlines.
“This expansion will bring new engineering and service capabilities to our customers in the region and will enable Rockwell Collins do Brazil to pursue and capture more commercial and military programs,” Nelson Aquino, managing director of Rockwell Collins do Brazil, says in a statement.
Rockwell Collins provides the integrated flight deck, called the Pro Line Fusion, for Embraer’s KC-390 tactical transport and tanker aircraft. Flight deck test software was recently delivered for the aircraft, which is scheduled to debut by the end of 2014. The Legacy 450 and 500 executive jets built by Embraer carry the same avionics suite as the KC-390.
The company is also responsible for micro intertial navigation sensors aboard the FT Sistemas Horus 100 hand-launched unmanned air vehicle scheduled for delivery to the Brazilian military this year. The company also builds the HF-9087D airborne radio which is carried by the Helibras EC-275 helicopter. The first of those radios was delivered in February.
The company is providing testing and repair of high frequency radios there as well. The Brazilian army has chosen the company’s Talon radio as its standard helicopter radio.
Embraer’s Super Tucano light attack aircraft, operated by several Latin American nations including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and the Dominican Republic, are outfitted with Rockwell Collins-built communication and navigation systems as well.
Recent additions to the Rockwell Collins’ workforce in Brazil include “engineers, programme managers, service technicians and business development personnel in order to better support customers, partners and programs” to support those and other activities in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America, the company says.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
