Avionics spending to be more focused

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 23 (UPI) -- Military spending on avionics will become more focused on modular, integrated avionics systems and greater information flow, a U.S. study says.

Frost & Sullivan, a growth partnership company, said in its "U.S. Military Avionics Market Assessment" that although Department of Defense spending shows a planned 4.7 percent increase in overall military avionics expenditures through 2015, there could be significant shifts in spending patterns.

"Traditional avionics are making way for interconnected, fully integrated systems that provide pilots with greater situational awareness, giving them a fully integrated view of the battlefield," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Wayne Plucker. "As part of this data-rich environment, UAVs will be providing more tactical information to both ground forces and airborne assets."

It also said one high-volume area in military avionics over the next several years is likely to be datalink units and equipment that accommodates datalinkage."Spending on avionics research, development, test & evaluation is likely to suffer on account of the Department of Defense's preference for commercial-off-the-shelf solutions," it said.