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World Defense & Security Industry News - Rockwell Collins
 
 
US Army's CH-47F Chinook helicopters now fitted with Rockwell Collins' new RNP-RNAV upgrade
 
The U.S. Army continues to bring additional levels of safety to CH-47F operators with a new Required Navigation Performance-Area Navigation (RNP-RNAV) upgrade from Rockwell Collins. The upgrade for CH-47F Chinooks equipped with Rockwell Collins’ Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) was most recently fielded with the Minnesota/Iowa National Guard, as well as the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii.
     
The U.S. Army continues to bring additional levels of safety to CH-47F operators with a new Required Navigation Performance-Area Navigation (RNP-RNAV) upgrade from Rockwell Collins. The upgrade for CH-47F Chinooks equipped with Rockwell Collins’ Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) was most recently fielded with the Minnesota/Iowa National Guard, as well as the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii.
New RNP-RNAV upgrade will enable US Army's CH-47F Chinooks to operate in and around civil airspace with safety benefits earlier afforded to commercial aircraft
     
Initially fielded in 2014, the RNP-RNAV capability enables Chinook users to operate in and around civil airspace with safety benefits that were earlier afforded only to commercial aircraft.

RNP-RNAV provides tactical helicopters with full civil airspace interoperability under current flight rules. It eliminates the need to obtain waivers or be limited to non-preferred routing, while ensuring timely and efficient mission planning and execution,” said Troy Brunk, vice president and general manager of Airborne Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “Our seamless integration of RNP-RNAV capabilities with the Chinook’s combat-proven tactical flight and performance management system exemplifies how Rockwell Collins is a leader in bringing open system architecture solutions to our military customers through software-only upgrades.

The RNP software also allows the Chinook user to be compliant with civil flight rules while operating in the continental U.S., Europe and other areas of the world where traffic congestion is being addressed by newer Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management rules. The RNP is a type of performance-based navigation that helps an aircraft to fly a specific path between two 3D-defined points in space.

The RNAV is a method of instrument flight rules navigation that enables an aircraft to select any course within a network of navigation beacons.It also conserves flight distance, reduces congestion, and allow flights into airports without beacons.