Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, has announced upgrades for its radio-altimeter family to help business-aviation operators meet new US Federal Aviation Administration operational standards. The upgrade path, unveiled in Las Vegas, is intended to improve resilience to 5G interference while allowing operators to retain existing systems rather than replace complete radio-altimeter installations.
The upgrades address the growing use of wireless spectrum and the FAA’s requirements for radio-altimeter performance. These systems measure an aircraft’s height above terrain and support automatic flight control, cockpit displays and warning functions. They also filter potentially false altitude returns caused by structures, nearby aircraft and ground features.
Collins service centres are scheduled to begin offering the work in 2027 as part of a multiyear compliance programme. The company expects tens of thousands of aircraft to require updates and is encouraging operators to schedule work early to reduce the risk of service delays and meet upcoming compliance deadlines.
The announcement did not identify the affected radio-altimeter variants, upgrade prices, installation times or the geographic scope of the service-centre rollout.