Rockwell Collins is providing its DIGAR for the F-16. Image courtesy of Rockwell Collins
The U.S. Defense Department has given Rockwell Collins a $30 million contract to upgrade F-16s with the company’s digital GPS anti-jam receiver (DIGAR) for the U.S. Air Force Reserves and National Guard.
The F-16 will be the first fighter to receive the latest version of the DIGAR, which provides GPS jamming protection across 16 simultaneous beams with support for Y-code and M-code and space-time and space-frequency adaptive processing beamforming.
Installation requires no changes to existing operational flight programs or A-kit aircraft wiring, which Rockwell Collins says cuts down on cost, risk and integration time. DIGAR is built on an open architecture and is compatible with fixed-wing, rotary-wing or unmanned aircraft.
In addition to the DIGAR, Rockwell Collins will be providing selective availability anti-spoofing (SAAS)-enabled GPS VII-2 modules and spares.
The contract, granted by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, is indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, so it is not yet determined how many F-16s will receive the upgrade, but a DOD release said that Rockwell will be responsible for providing its system as well as integration and engineering support for F-16 pre-block 30/32 system upgrades.
Upgrades will be carried in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Rockwell Collins is headquartered. No start date is public yet according to a company spokesman, but work is expected to be complete by Sept. 29, 2023.