- Letter to shareowners
- Focused on a high growth future
- At-a-glance
- Financial highlights
- Leadership
- Corporate information
The pursuit of growth strategies is driving each of our business units forward.
“Understanding our customers’ needs is the foundation of our long-term, in-depth relationships. This knowledge enables us to deliver innovative and relevant solutions that create differentiated passenger experiences and continue to drive growth.”
Werner Lieberherr, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Interior Systems
We’re a world leader in cabin interior products for commercial and business aircraft, delivering reliable, efficient innovations. Our broad solutions portfolio – including aircraft cabin seating, lighting, oxygen systems, galleys, inserts and lavatories – is developed in close partnership with our customers to ensure it best fits their needs, and the needs of their passengers.
For airlines, business class seating is an important differentiator in a competitive marketplace. In 2017 Qatar Airways took a major new step forward with the introduction of the Rockwell Collins-designed Qsuite on its Boeing 777-300ER wide-body aircraft. Three years of collaborative design and development work produced an innovative solution that offers a host of connectivity and comfort features. Qsuite is flexible enough to create high levels of privacy or collaborative work and family space, depending on passenger preferences.
It only makes sense: A comprehensive cabin solution for aircraft that combines comfort, entertainment and connectivity – seamlessly integrated and all from one provider. That’s what our new partnership with Comlux Aviation will provide to VIP aircraft operators and their passengers. The solution suite includes our Venue™ cabin management system, luxury seating, interior lighting, inserts and Inmarsat Jet ConneX (JX) broadband-speed connectivity. It takes cabin productivity and enjoyment to a whole new level.
From super first class environments and business class to premium economy and economy seats, our seating solutions have been selected by the vast majority of the world’s leading airlines.
“We are excited about the opportunities we see for the integration of functionality and the aggregation of data to enhance efficiency and help customers meet their key objectives.”
Kent Statler, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Systems
Whether it’s large-format cockpit displays, next-gen predictive maintenance systems or avionics solutions that allow customers to comply with new airspace mandates, we’re delivering technology that enables pilots and airlines to be safe and productive.
We’re proud to have earned significant standard flight deck positions on Boeing’s entire fleet of next-generation aircraft. This year saw the first customer delivery of the 737 MAX, which features our 15.1-inch flight displays, flight controls and interior systems as standard equipment. It’s our largest presence on a single-aisle aircraft to date. And with nearly 4,000 airplanes in Boeing’s order book, the 737 MAX will contribute to our success for years to come.
Generating data on next-generation, information-enabled aircraft is only part of the equation – the next step is making the most of that information, quickly and efficiently. We worked closely with Airbus to develop a secure wireless connectivity solution for its A320 that keeps crews better informed while improving data management and analytics for operational efficiency and reduced maintenance. The flight operations and maintenance exchanger (FOMAX) enables secure flight crew connectivity via cellular and SATCOM to rapidly and securely transfer nearly all aircraft data between air and ground – creating opportunities for ongoing revenue over our ARINC global network – while our complementary land-based systems help maximize the value of airlines' data for operational efficiency.
Regulatory agency mandates across the globe are driving significant demand for Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) technologies prior to January 1, 2020. Rockwell Collins offers certified ADS-B Out solutions for aircraft ranging from the Textron King Air through the Boeing 747-8, along with upgrade packages to bring additional functionality such as display capability upgrades and synthetic vision systems.
“Our long-term R&D investments in key technologies like precise positioning and navigation, software-defined radios and advanced data links and waveforms are allowing us to meet evolving needs and lead our customers and the industry forward.”
Phil Jasper, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Government Systems
In today’s conflicted world, geopolitical threats are growing in number and sophistication, driving a need for reliable, robust solutions. Our innovative technologies are designed to counter those challenges, allowing warfighters to seamlessly and reliably identify, communicate and navigate hazards in real time – every time.
It’s critical that warfighters can instantly, accurately and securely share information – including voice, video, images and data – across a dynamic battlespace. Our TruNet™ software-defined network communications solution – including ground and airborne radios – allows militaries to count on secure, uninterrupted connectivity across the full breadth of their forces. And our modernized wideband high frequency (HF) solutions offer low-cost and jam-resistant transfer of large files and streaming video, real-time chat and conferencing and high-quality voice, even beyond line of sight.
The safety of teams on the ground and in the air often depends on their ability to safely navigate through unfamiliar and often hostile territory. That requires portable, reliable and rugged technology, resistant to electronic countermeasures. Our next-generation GPS solutions – in multiple form factors to meet the most space-constrained environments – support the latest military GPS, anti-spoofing and anti-jam technologies for accurate position, navigation and timing, even in the most challenging mission situations.
As the capabilities of many military systems like the F-35 fighter grow more advanced, they’ve outstripped the ability of existing training methodologies to keep pace. In 2017, the U.S. Navy selected Rockwell Collins, along with our partner Leonardo DRS, to develop a next-generation, airborne-, ground- and ship-based encrypted training system for the F-35, F-22, F-18, F-16 and other advanced aircraft. The program, called Tactical Combat Training System Increment II (TCTS Inc-II), increases network data capacity by five-fold and incorporates multilevel security features for all training participants to enhance combat readiness – all with an open design to keep pace with evolving threats and tactics.
“We’re focused on developing and delivering connectivity and information-based solutions that offer our customers operational improvements and new, innovative ways of doing business.”
Dave Nieuwsma, Senior Vice President, Information Management Services
Travelers rely on information technologies more than ever, and Rockwell Collins plays a critical role for airlines, pilots and passengers. From the cockpit to the cabin, we provide services that enable today’s connected aircraft, and we’re innovating new solutions to enhance the passenger experience at every point of the journey.
Improving passenger flow at the airport can be the first step in creating a smooth and seamless passenger experience, and self-service bag drops are emerging as a critical component for easier, efficient and secure processing of departing travelers. Our December 2016 acquisition of Pulse.Aero positions us as a leader in smart, intuitive self-service bag drop systems, integrating biometric technologies and automation that allow airports to securely automate baggage processing without modifying airline departure control systems.
The exponential growth in data transmitted between modern aircraft and ground systems – including electronic flight bag applications, maintenance and aircraft performance data – is driving demand for bigger “pipes” to efficiently transmit the information. In 2017 we introduced our higher-bandwidth ARINC GLOBALinkSM MIAM – Media Independent Aircraft Messaging – service. This service allows operators of the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft to exchange larger messages than previously possible across cellular, Wi-Fi and broadband channels for enhanced and cost-effective operational efficiency.
More than 250 aircraft – for airlines including Norwegian Air, Air Astana and AZAL Azerbaijan Airlines – are contracted to be equipped with Rockwell Collins' latest CabinConnect™ inflight connectivity solution, using Inmarsat’s GX satellite network, by the end of the decade. Fully integrated and seamless, CabinConnect simplifies the delivery of cabin connectivity, enabling passengers to surf the internet, access social networks and messaging apps or use email via smartphones, tablets and personal computers. Passengers will also be able to stream onboard entertainment content using their personal devices.