Airbus Helicopters has selected Astronautics’ wireless airborne communication system, AeroSync Max, to be the standard-fit connectivity solution for its H225 Super Puma and H225M Caracal tactical counterpart. 

Announcing the selection on Tuesday at Verticon, Astronautics said the long-range twins will feature the third and newest version of AeroSync Max, which enables secure and efficient data transmissions between aircraft and ground operations. It consists of an airborne communication server, wireless connectivity module, and remote media device for data storage. 

An earlier version of AeroSync Max is also the line-fit communications system for Airbus H145/M and H160/M helicopters. According to Astronautics, Airbus plans to phase in a line-fit transition to bring those aircraft up to speed with the latest edition. 

According to Astronautics, the latest version of AeroSync Max comes with mission and military enhancements such as smart routing, voice over IP telephone service, and parallel VPNs with two layers of encryption. It also comes with secure gateway capabilities for applications that require a high level of data security in compliance with cybersecurity standards, including the FAA’s DO-326 and EASA’s ED-203A. 

In addition to its connectivity solution, Astronautics is showcasing its RoadRunner electronic flight instrument (EFI) this week at Verticon. On Tuesday, the company announced it will deliver 32 RoadRunner EFIs to Patria Helicopters, a Bell-authorized service center at Stockholm Arlanda Airport in Sweden, for installation on Bell 412s operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. 

The EFI is a retrofit that replaces legacy attitude director indicators and horizontal situation indicators with a single combined instrument in a digital display. According to Astronautics, the EFI mitigates avionics obsolescence and reduces MRO costs associated with legacy systems. RoadRunner EFIs have been installed on various platforms, including the Bell 412 and 212 and Leonardo AW109 and AW119.