Marshall completes multi-year Austrian Air Force C-130 upgrade
Marshall has completed the navigation upgrade programme of the Austrian Air Force’s three C-130K aircraft, comprising a bespoke suite of modifications.
Building on an eleven year partnership, the latest round of work to update the three tactical airlifters was first initiated in 2020, when the Austrian Air Force “identified a number of new areas to improve navigation functions and availability”. This built on earlier work in 2017 when, following Austria’s purchase of three former RAF aircraft in 2002, Marshall carried out “extensive modifications aiming to address obsolescence, regulatory and operational requirements, including the installation of a new flight management system (FMS) and night vision imaging system (NVIS)”.
Requirements identified for the most recent round of modifications included coupling the GPS landing sensor units approach capability to the autopilot, changes to the magnetic heading display, the display of vertical speed on the integrated secondary flight display, and the inclusion of a second bearing pointer on the electronic horizontal situation indicator.
“These upgrades for the AAF are a perfect example of our end-to-end engineering capabilities in action,” commented Gareth Williams, chief operating officer at Marshall. “This programme also demonstrates how the useful lifespan and capabilities of a legacy aircraft can be maximised through a carefully-planned cycle of upgrades”.
Austrian Military Attaché Col. Wolfgang Weichselberger added that “the completion of this major navigation upgrade is a testament to the capabilities and expertise of Marshall’s team, and will yield significant operational business for [the AAF’s] C-130K fleet”.
As announced in 2023, the three former UK C-130K aircraft will be replaced by the Embraer KC-390 Millennium, with a contract expected to be finalised later this year.
