Rockwell Collins unveils upgrades to legacy military radios at inaugural user conference

CHARLESTON, S.C. Rockwell Collins recently hosted more than 50 users of its ground radio systems during the inaugural GRC Users Day Conference in Charleston.

Customers received updates on the new 721S Fixed Site Ground radio and SMART Blade™ Radio systems. These systems are available to replace the existing GRC-171 units now deployed around the world in ground-to-ground, ground-to-air and ship-to-shore communications.

The 721S radio is a drop-in replacement for the GRC-171 that literally takes only five minutes to install, weighs 60 percent less than its predecessor, and offers updated technology. The 721S radio is fully interoperable with the legacy radios in use by coalition forces, offers remote control features for “lights out” operation thereby reducing manpower needs, and enables seamless co-site interference mitigation. The radio also features Rockwell Collins’ patented Clarity™ feature, which eliminates background noise in both transmit and receive modes.

The SMART Blade™ radio system features a smaller, V/UHF “blade” architecture enabling customers in the Air Traffic Control community to upgrade their existing facilities and greatly reduce the current footprint of the existing GRC-171 based system.

“We received great customer feedback at the event,” said Troy Brunk, senior director of Airborne and Fixed Site Communication Products. “When we offer a simple drop-in upgrade like this for a proven product, our customers don’t have to wait for additional system integration work to incorporate the new capability into their systems.”

According to Brunk, the success of this initial conference could lead to additional industry days to raise customer awareness of other simple upgrades for their existing Rockwell Collins equipment. Attendees also expressed interest in other Rockwell Collins V/UHF communication solutions.

“As budget constraints change the defense marketplace in the United States and around the world, Rockwell Collins is seizing opportunities to cost effectively upgrade customer’s existing equipment,” said Brunk.

About Rockwell Collins
Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission communications, information management, and simulation and training is delivered by 20,000 employees, and a global service and support network that crosses 27 countries. To find out more, please visit www.rockwellcollins.com.