CRIIS to roll out at US test ranges

Rockwell Collins will deliver and support initial fielding of the Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS) at US military test ranges under a $31 million contract awarded by the US Department of Defense on 8 August.

Having recently passed its production readiness review, CRIIS will replace the Advanced Range Data System (ARDS) currently in use at major US military test ranges.

Rockwell Collins is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the system. The contract calls for the company to deliver 180 ground and airborne subsystems to seven DoD test ranges; provide initial spares to establish a repair pipeline for system support; and support site activation with production hardware at NAS Patuxent River, Eglin AFB, Edwards AFB and White Sands Missile Range.

CRIIS equipment will support a variety of platforms, including the F-35 and F-22 for improved operational realism. The system provides time, space, position information, additional platform test data, and employs a more robust, spectrally efficient data link including multiple independent levels of security. 

Mike Jones, vice president and general manager, communication, navigation and electronic warfare solutions for Rockwell Collins, said: ‘The key technologies of multi-level security, high throughput datalink networking, and precision GPS-based positioning make the system ready for the F-35, so moving into production makes CRIIS real for test and training instrumentation users. It provides much needed technology to modernise our US military test ranges and extends air combat training to be more operationally realistic as well.’