THE MALAYSIAN air force is planning to upgrade its fleet of Lockheed C-130H Hercules transport aircraft with new cockpit avionics and an integrated self-defence countermeasures system.
Rockwell-Collins, is understood to have been selected to equip the aircraft, with its flat-panel EFIS-90 electronic flight-instrumentation system, a new digital tactical airborne-navigation system and replacement UHF/VHF communi- cations suite.
Plans to replace the aircraft's Collins AP-105 autopilot with the new APS-85, similar to that being fitted to up-graded Canadian C-130s, have been shelved for budgetary reasons.
Malaysia is evaluating the idea of fitting the aircraft with chaff/fare dispensers and electronic jammers, as a result of the increasing number of missions being flown in hostile airspace to support UN peacekeeping operations. Competing for the contract are Canadian Marconi, Danish Aerotech, Lockheed Sanders and Westinghouse.
The programme has been officially approved, but is still subject to a contract being finalised with Airod for the work to be undertaken locally at Subang Airport. CAE will provide integration support.
It is initially planned to upgrade five of Malaysia's nine C-130s, with the option to add a sixth aircraft later. The air force recently concluded a deal, to purchase an additional five stretched C-130H-30s, to boost its lift capability (Flight International, 20-26 September).
Source: Flight International
