Rockwell Collins aims to continue its recent major expansion in Europe by securing fresh business from subsidiary nations France, Germany, Sweden and the UK, one of the company’s senior executives has said.

“We believe we are uniquely positioned for growth,” said Claude Alber, vice president and managing director Europe, Middle East and Africa, international and service solutions.

“We have doubled our sales in the last 10 years, and have a strong and growing presence,” he said in the run-up to the UK’s Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition. “We are transforming US technologies by using local added-value, but of our business, 80% is not simple ‘pass-throughs’, but customised equipment. We also have several product lines with items serving the whole world market as a centre of excellence.”

Examples include mission computers and other equipment for platforms including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen NG combat aircraft, Airbus Military A400M and CN-235 transports, and Eurocopter Tiger attack and NH Industries NH90 utility helicopters.

Collins’ exhibit at the 13-16 September DSEi show will include several systems created using its European-based know-how, including the UK-developed FireStorm targeting system for ground forces. It also is giving a show debut to its StrikeHawk digital video downlink receiver, which enables users to access real-time imagery gathered by unmanned air systems, other surveillance platforms and from targeting pods.

The company’s government and commercial business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa last year accounted for roughly $1 billion of its overall $4.66 billion sales total, while it accounts for around 2,200 of its 20,000 employees worldwide.

“There will be significant growth,” said Alber, pointing to his company’s involvement in new development programmes, such as the AgustaWestland AW149 military utility helicopter and the commercial AW189, unveiled at June’s Paris air show.

Already involved in projects such as the UK’s Thales/Elbit Systems Watchkeeper and Turkey’s Anka, Alber said Collins is also aiming to grow in the UAS sector. “Our solution is to offer very compact sensors and flight controls with unique features, such as dynamic reconfiguration damage control,” he said.

Other new areas of activity include investigating a possible radar-based solution to alert helicopter crews about the risks presented by obstacles such as wires, electricity pylons and fences. Alber declined to provide further details of this work, but said: “We believe we will offer a very significant advantage on weight and all-weather capability” when compared with laser-based systems.

The developmental technology would be suitable for use by military rotorcraft, plus those employed for emergency medical services and search and rescue tasks, he said.

Source: FlightGlobal.com

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