The IDAR upgrades will incorporate cutting-edge components, including enhanced cybersecurity features and potential data encryption capabilities, ensuring the KC-135 fleet remains operationally viable well into the future. This modernization effort aligns with the USAF’s goals of improving fleet performance, efficiency, and safety.

“The IDAR will use an advanced, scalable real-time processor module common across our avionics products that reduces cost for our customers,” stated Matt Burns, General Manager of Avionics for GE Aerospace. “We continue to make performance improvements including more than double the download speed and memory capacity.”

The upgraded IDAR system is designed to acquire, process, analyze, and store critical aircraft data, including structural, engine, maintenance, mission, and system health metrics. It also provides crash-survivable flight data recording functionality. Notably, the system has played a pivotal role in supporting the USAF’s Aircraft Structural Integrity Programs (ASIP) and Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance (MFOQA) initiatives.

This contract builds on GE Aerospace’s rich legacy of innovation in aviation technology. With a track record of providing solutions for both commercial and military aircraft, GE Aerospace continues to demonstrate its leadership in developing reliable, advanced systems for critical applications.

About GE Aerospace

GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) is a global leader in aerospace propulsion, services, and systems, with an installed base of approximately 44,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines. With a team of 52,000 employees and over a century of innovation, GE Aerospace remains at the forefront of defining the future of flight