Rockwell Collins has been awarded two contracts to provide service and support for the KC-135 Pacer CRAG (Compass, Radar and GPS) program.

The scope of the avionics repair package consists of nearly 4,000 line replaceable units across the fleet of 417 KC-135 aircraft and will be one of the largest repair contracts in terms of volume for Rockwell Collins in its 80-year history. This U.S. Air Force contract is a one-year base with three one-year options that solely covers the Rockwell Collins Multimode Weather Radar and is a step towards a collaborative, flexible longer-term sustainment solution.

“This historic contract extends our successful relationship with the Air Force for upgrading and maintaining the KC-135. We are absolutely committed to continuing our track record of on-time, on-budget performance with this program,” said Scott Gunnufson, Vice President and General Manager of Service Solutions for Rockwell Collins.

Additionally, Rockwell Collins has been awarded a three-year, $4.8 million contract by the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard for service and support of its KC-135 Pacer CRAG avionics equipment.

The Pacer CRAG program represents the Air Force’s commitment to modernizing the KC-135 fleet to extend its functional life to 2040, which is when the airframe is scheduled to be decommissioned. The Pacer CRAG avionics upgrade to the KC-135 fleet is a commercial, off-the-shelf modification program that eliminates the need for a navigator on most missions.

Rockwell Collins was selected in 1995 as the prime contractor on the Pacer CRAG program to upgrade the KC-135 with compass, radar and GPS technology.

Subsequently in 1999, the company was selected as the prime contractor for the KC-135 Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) program, which enabled the aircraft to meet airspace mandates while addressing critical obsolescence issues.

The Rockwell Collins KC-135 GATM system is fielded and operational, with 417 aircraft delivered on time and on budget, meeting 100% of the program’s documented systems requirements.