Boeing has awarded Rockwell Collins a $21 million initial production contract to provide color displays for the cockpit of the U.S. Air Force fleet of B-1 aircraft.
The avionics upgrade replaces the 25-year old Cathode Ray Rube (CRT) displays with Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (AMLCD) displays in the forward and aft cockpits. The new displays are equipped with high performance backlight technology and provide night vision goggle capability.
“This will be a very significant and much needed leap in cockpit display technology for B-1 aircrews,” said Dave Nieuwsma, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “By replacing the current monochrome displays with our most advanced AMLCD displays, B-1 operators will experience enhanced situational awareness and reduced pilot workload, resulting in increased flight safety and mission effectiveness.”