Garmin has delivered its 1,000th G1000 integrated flight-deck retrofit for a King Air aircraft, with the milestone installation completed on a U.S. Army C-12 Huron by Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems in Greenville, South Carolina. The aircraft received Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and Garmin Autothrottle, and Army officials accepted it during a ceremony at Stevens on 6 October.
The Army has now upgraded more than 40 C-12 Hurons with G1000 NXi under an avionics-modernisation programme intended to keep the fleet mission-ready through 2050. The retrofit replaces legacy instruments with an integrated glass flight deck designed to reduce pilot workload, improve reliability and provide additional safety functions.
G1000 NXi capabilities include synthetic vision, an emergency-descent mode that activates automatically after cabin depressurisation and an electronic stability-and-protection function adapted for one-engine-inoperative operation. Stevens is responsible for carrying out the Army’s C-12 upgrades.
Garmin received its first supplemental type certificate for a King Air G1000 retrofit in November 2007 and certified the G1000 NXi upgrade in January 2017. Approvals cover the C90A/B, 200, B200, 300 and 350 series, along with military C-12 variants. Eligible aircraft can also receive Autothrottle and, subject to certification, Garmin Autoland. Additional certification for aircraft fitted with increased-gross-weight modifications was expected by the end of 2026.