Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins' RTIC system

Air Force Tanker Aircraft Get Communications Boost

Sept. 26, 2018
Rockwell Collins has been commissioned by the U.S. Air Force to implement a RTIC system for KC-135R legacy tanker aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force has selected Rockwell Collins to boost the communications capabilities for its legacy tanker aircraft KC-135R fleet with the implementation of a Real Time Information in the Cockpit (RTIC) system. This will mark the first permanently installed Link 16 system for a legacy U.S. tanker aircraft. Implementation of the Real Time Information in the Cockpit (RTIC) system will provide greatly enhanced situational awareness for pilots and much improved and secure communications capabilities.

“Pilots and boom operators will now be able to view intelligence feeds on the new avionics displays we’re providing as part of their Block 45 upgrade,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager of Rockwell Collins Airborne Solutions. “With information such as enemy threats, target data, and blue force locations at their fingertips, crews will gain real-time situational awareness to more effectively carry out their missions.”

For Rockwell Collins, this improved system integration involves equipment installation and testing of relay, control, and display information, along with how the new systems interact with existing avionics and other standalone displays. The system to be implemented on the KC-135R leverages the successful Block 40 and Block 45 avionics architectures and many components from the USAF C-130 RTIC program.

About the Author

Jack Browne | Technical Contributor

Jack Browne, Technical Contributor, has worked in technical publishing for over 30 years. He managed the content and production of three technical journals while at the American Institute of Physics, including Medical Physics and the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology. He has been a Publisher and Editor for Penton Media, started the firm’s Wireless Symposium & Exhibition trade show in 1993, and currently serves as Technical Contributor for that company's Microwaves & RF magazine. Browne, who holds a BS in Mathematics from City College of New York and BA degrees in English and Philosophy from Fordham University, is a member of the IEEE.

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