Esterline Corporation (www.esterline.com) (NYSE Symbol: ESL), a leading global specialty manufacturer primarily serving the aerospace and defense markets, is pleased to announce the award of a contract from Airbus Helicopters to supply its CMC Electronics brand Integrated Helicopter Solution for the upgrade of the German Armed Forces’ CH-53GS/GE Sea Stallion helicopters. The upgrade features the Esterline CMC Electronics CMA-9000 Flight Management System and the Esterline MFD-3068 Smart Multi-Function Display which will address obsolescence and enhance the CH-53GS/GE’s capabilities by providing a flexible, modernized cockpit with improved civil navigation features.

Michel Potvin, President, Esterline Avionics Systems, said: “The German Armed Forces were looking for a cost-effective way to extend the life of their Sea Stallion fleet and we are delighted that the CH-53GS/GE helicopters will benefit from the extensive navigation and radio management capabilities of our CMA-9000 FMS as well as from our latest generation of smart multi-function displays. Our Integrated Helicopter Solutions are highly flexible, allowing for multiple levels of modernization, from a minor upgrade to a full avionics suite. Our goal is to optimize situational awareness for our commercial and military customers and ensure their mission success.”

The CMA-9000 is a field-proven, highly integrated and flexible solution that is optimized for helicopter operations. It provides flight management and multi-sensor navigation throughout all phases of flight, radio management and many specialized functions that help reduce pilot workload during mission-critical applications such as Search and Rescue (SAR) and offshore operations.  The CMA-9000 supports both military and civil navigation modes, with compliance to the latest standards for Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) approaches, including Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV).

The integrated radio management system offers savings in terms of size, weight, power and cost on the helicopter. Night Vision Goggle (NVG) capability enables night-time operations for police, SAR and Emergency Medical Service operators, making the CMA-9000 suitable for a wide range of helicopter applications.The third-generation MFD-3068 smart display is designed as an open architecture platform, featuring next- generation MOSArt™ (Modular Open System Architecture) middleware built with non-proprietary industry standards for the partitioning of applications (ARINC 653) and the latest in Multi-Core Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS).

The display is complemented by Esterline supplied software applications (PFD, Navigation, etc.), customer supplied applications or both. With an optical quality second to none, the display offers true 8-bit colour rendition with optical performance stabilized over its design life-time and its extended operating temperature envelope (+70C continuous). Its next-generation Light Emitting Diode (LED) illumination system supports multi-mode operations (day / night / NVIS) and provides up to 275 fL of illumination in day mode.