SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --General Dynamics C4 Systems recently received an In-service Decision certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the General Dynamics CM-300/350 V2 UHF and VHF air traffic control (ATC) radios. With the certification, the new CM-300/350 V2 radios are approved for installation and operation in FAA facilities, replacing approximately 28,000 aging ATC radios in more than 2,000 FAA locations nationwide. The new software-defined radios will provide next-generation digital voice communications to air traffic control personnel and pilots as they fly across the U.S. National Airspace System. Based on the FAA's implementation plan, the new radios will start arriving at FAA facilities during the fourth quarter of 2014.
The certification follows the successful completion of the FAA's Independent Operational Assessment conducted in April 2014 in Jacksonville, Fla., where the radios were tested in realistic ground-to-air operating environments. The VHF version of the CM-300/350 V2 radios connect ATC personnel with general and commercial aviation pilots, and the UHF version is used to communicate with military aircraft.
"The CM-300/350 V2 radios support an FAA safety-critical service which means they have successfully completed the FAA's extensive testing regimen, ensuring the radios' performance for years to come," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems. "By working closely with the FAA, we were able to take these radios from contract award to the air traffic control tower in just two years which is a significant achievement by the General Dynamics and FAA radio team."
The radios will be ordered using the $363 million, 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract awarded to General Dynamics in April 2012. The U.S. Department of Defense, with similar ground-to-air radio requirements, may also use the contract to buy the new radios for use in military installations. The new CM-300/350 V2 VHF and UHF radios are part of the FAA's Next Generation Air-Ground Communications (NEXCOM) Segment 2 program.
The General Dynamics C4 Systems facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., will build the radios. More information about the CM-300/350 V2 UHF and VHF air traffic control radios can be found at www.gdc4s.com/ATC.
General Dynamics C4 Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). More information about General Dynamics C4 Systems is available at www.gdc4s.com. Information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.
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SOURCE General Dynamics C4 Systems
