During the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (AAD) 2018, held at the Air Force Base Waterkloof, in the City of Tshwane, Paramount Group, Africa’s largest privately owned and globe-spanning defence and aerospace business, proudly launched its Integrated Avionics Suite (IAS) Upgrade Program for Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft.
The IAS program aims to dynamically enhance cockpit and avionics capabilities to support modern field effectiveness in operations as diverse as tactical flight (eg, paramilitary), to air-drop of cargo to search and rescue.
Where applicable in customer countries around the world, Paramount Group will install the IAS, perform qualification flight tests and provide initial training.
The IAS offers, however, are not limited to improved capabilities, including heightened area navigation (RNAV) to navigate on often-challenging courses, contemporary GPS-SBAS-based navigation solutions, coupled lateral and vertical navigation capacity through digital autopilot, increased flight safety and an integrated ‘glass cockpit’ (eg, Primary Flight Display System, Engine Instrument Display System and Flight Management System), which reduces crew workload by automatically heightening technologically-driven situational awareness.
Paramount Advanced Technologies CEO Ralph Mills stated: “Today’s aerospace and defence challenges require tactical visibility, both day and night, landings on often unprepared airstrips and indeed asymmetrical combat in uncontrolled airspace, where no ground-based navigation aids are available. The Integrated Avionics Suite (IAS) offers unprecedented landing guidance, automatic search pattern generation and contemporary situational awareness, circumventing the challenges of manual navigation in demanding environments. We look forward to offering this groundbreaking enhancement to our partners’ Lockheed C-130 Hercules capabilities, to benefit this ever-essential troop, medevac, and cargo transport aircraft.”
