With the increased emphasis on reducing the costs of equipment and systems for military applications, and the need for compatibility with the changing civil aviation environment, e.g. Future Air Navigation System (FANS), there is heightened interest in utilizing commercial air transport avionics for military aircraft. Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) platforms developed for commercial air transport applications offer the potential for cost effective, scaleable, off-the-shelf avionics solutions for military aircraft.
The Boeing 777 Airplane Information Management System (AIMS) cabinet with its Line Replaceable Modules (LRMs) is an implementation of IMA. Other programs, such as the Boeing 737 Common Display System (CDS), are applying IMA concepts in a Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) form factor for compatibility with racking and cooling systems in existing commercial air transport platforms. For best economy, changes to the commercial IMA systems and their development/support processes must be minimized when applying them to military aircraft.
Close cooperation and communication is necessary between commercial avionics suppliers and potential military customers to achieve a full understanding of the commercial avionics' capabilities and the requirements for their application in military aircraft.