L3Harris recently achieved the “power-on” milestone for the first of three prototype aircraft under the U.S. Air Force Avionics Modernization Program Increment 2 (AMP INC 2).
Additionally, the AMP INC 2 team completed the Systems Integration Lab (SIL), allowing flight software testing to begin. SIL testing is the first step in validating the customer’s mission system requirements before transitioning into ground and flight testing within the next six months.
Modification and testing are occurring in parallel at L3Harris’ Waco, Texas aircraft modification facility, the company’s C-130 Center of Excellence.
Once local testing is complete, the aircraft will transition into joint developmental testing at Eglin AFB, with delivery of the three aircraft to follow for operational testing later this year. Low-Rate Initial Production is slated to begin in August 2022 with Full Rate Production beginning in 2023.