Graham Warwick/EDMONTON
Spar Aviation Services will begin delivery of upgraded Lockheed Martin C-130s to the Canadian forces this month.
The third of 32 aircraft in the CC-130 Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - the first for an operational unit - will be delivered by the end of July. The first two upgraded CC-130s are being tested by the Canadian forces.
Meanwhile, Edmonton, Alberta-based Spar has begun manufacturing kits for a more limited navigation system upgrade for five Royal Jordanian Air Force C-130s, with in-country installation to be completed by the year-end.
The Spar unit, formerly CAE Aviation, has also submitted a bid to upgrade the avionics in six C-130s operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Spar says the proposed update is more extensive than that done for Canada, although the AUP architecture is the basis of the company's C-130 avionics upgrade plans.
Spar has teamed with Rockwell-Collins to pursue the C-130 avionics upgrade market. The AUP is based on Collins' electronic flight-instrument system, digital autopilot and flight-management system. The UAE proposals adds a head-up display and electronic engine instruments.
The company is under contract to upgrade 30 Canadian CC-130s at a rate of one a month and has submitted a proposal covering the final two aircraft, civil L-100s converted to military configuration by CAE.
Spar is also responsible for depot-level maintenance of the CC-130s, and is collecting structural data to determine whether their service lives can be extended to as much as 65,000h.
Source: Flight International
