Rockwell Collins gets $420 million contract for ARC-210 radio

Rockwell Collins has received a $420 million, four-year contract from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command to continue supplying its ARC-210 advanced airborne software defined radio system.

The ARC-210 has been installed on more than 180 different aircraft in 45 countries ranging from military jets to air-cushion landing craft and aircraft carriers. With the ability to provide voice and data communications, the radio is standard equipment on U.S. and international military aircraft.

From an initial U.S. Navy order of $4.8 million in the 1980s, the ARC-210 has generated more than $1 billion in sales for Rockwell Collins. The company was given unprecedented freedom by the U.S. Navy to configure the radio's inner components and use more commercial manufacturing methods.

The change in procurement procedure from tight military control was accompanied by Rockwell Collins performance guarantees that it would reimburse the U.S. Navy if commitments were not met.

The procurement success of the ARC-210 is taught as an example of successful procurement in the Pentagon's systems management college. The radio has prevented friendly fire deaths by making it easier for fighting forces to identify one another.

The ARC-210 was crucial in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the Naval Air Systems Command. Several hundred Rockwell Collins employees in Cedar Rapids are involved in production, engineering, and support of the radio.