Fokker Services has launched a competition to upgrade the Honeywell flight management system (FMS) or supply a new FMS for the Fokker 70 and 100 fleet to meet future air navigation requirements.
Fokker Services' CNS/ATM (communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management) Task Force is to meet in the second quarter of next year to select a vendor and determine the development schedule for the upgrade.
More than 240 Fokker 70s and 100s are in operation and the majority are expected to be in service until at least the end of the decade, so an upgrade package is required, says Fokker Services. Avionics manufacturers made presentations at last month's CNS/ATM Task Force meeting, which was attended by Fokker 70 and 100 operators.
The upgrade will be required to facilitate required navigation performance (RNP) capability down to RNP 0.3 as well as vertical navigation instrument approaches. A VHF data link mode 2 (VDL mode 2) and a communication management system would also be required to support the use of controller-pilot data link communications in the USA and Europe's Link 2000+ data link implementation, says Fokker Services.
Source: Flight International
