Rockwell Collins, Inc. is a leader in the design, production and support of communications and aviation electronics for commercial and military customers worldwide. While our products and systems are primarily focused on aviation applications, our Government Systems business also offers products and systems for ground and shipboard applications. The integrated system solutions and products we provide to our served markets are oriented around a set of core competencies: communications, navigation, automated flight control, displays/surveillance, simulation and training, integrated electronics and information management systems. We also provide a wide range of services and support to our customers through a worldwide network of service centers, including equipment repair and overhaul, service parts, field service engineering, training, technical information services and aftermarket used equipment sales. The structure of our business allows us to leverage these core competencies across markets and applications so that we are able to bring high value solutions to customers while providing superior returns to shareowners. We operate in multiple countries and are headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Our Company’s heritage is rooted in the Collins Radio Company, established in 1933. Rockwell Collins, Inc., the parent company, is incorporated in Delaware. As used herein, the terms “we”, “us”, “our”, “Rockwell Collins” or the “Company” include subsidiaries and predecessors unless the context indicates otherwise.
Whenever reference is made in any Item of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to information under specific captions of our 2009 Annual Report to Shareowners (the “2009 Annual Report”) or to information in our Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareowners to be held on February 9, 2010 (the “2010 Proxy Statement”), such information shall be deemed to be incorporated herein by such reference.
All date references contained herein relate to our fiscal year ending on the Friday closest to September 30 unless otherwise stated. For ease of presentation, September 30 is utilized consistently throughout this report to represent the fiscal year end date. 2009 was a 52-week fiscal year, while 2008 was a 53-week fiscal year and 2007 was a 52-week fiscal year.
Description of Business by Segment
We serve a worldwide customer base through our Government Systems and Commercial Systems business segments. These two segments are described in detail below.
Government Systems
Our Government Systems business provides communication and electronic systems, products and services for airborne and surface applications to the U.S. Department of Defense, other government agencies, civil agencies, defense contractors and foreign ministries of defense. These systems, products and services support airborne (fixed and rotary wing), ground and shipboard applications and are used in line-fit applications on new equipment as well as in retrofit and upgrade applications designed to extend the effective life and enhance the capability of existing aircraft, vehicle and weapon platforms.
Our defense communication and electronic systems, products and services include:
• communications systems and products designed to enable the transmission of information across the communications spectrum, ranging from Very Low and Low Frequency to High, Very High and Ultra High Frequency and to satellite communications
• military data link systems and products
• navigation systems and products, including radio navigation systems, global positioning systems (GPS), handheld navigation systems and multi-mode receivers
• subsystems for the flight deck that combine flight operations with navigation and guidance functions and that can include flight controls and displays, information/data processing and communications, navigation and/or safety and surveillance systems
• cockpit display systems, including flat panel, multipurpose, wide fields of view, head-up, head-down and helmet-mounted displays for tactical fighter and attack aircraft
• integrated computer systems for future combat systems
• simulation and training systems, including visual system products, training systems and engineering services
• maintenance, repair, parts and after-sales support services
Government Systems product category sales are divided into airborne and surface solutions. Product category sales for defense-related products are delineated based upon the difference in the underlying customer base and markets served.
Airborne solutions are oriented around solutions for tanker/transport, rotary wing, fighter/bomber, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and precision weaponry platforms. For tanker/transport and rotary wing platforms, we provide complete cockpit avionics systems as well as avionics subsystems and mission system applications. We serve various roles within these markets including system and sub-systems integrator as well as provider of various electronic products. Our offerings for fighters and bombers are primarily focused around avionics sub-systems and products which are integrated into the flight deck and mission systems of the aircraft. Examples of these include voice and data communications products and head-up, head-down and helmet-mounted display systems. For the UAV market we provide low-cost, high performance integrated flight control, navigation, communication and sensor capabilities. In the precision weaponry market we provide GPS guidance for precision targeting systems.
Surface solutions sales are oriented around soldier, ground vehicle and maritime solutions. Soldier solutions consist of handheld and vehicle-mounted navigation devices as well as integrated systems that combine navigation, computation, communication and display capabilities to provide a full situational awareness solution. Ground vehicle solutions include mission computing technology, as well as communications and navigation products, to facilitate network-centric operations and provide improved situational awareness for ground users and platforms. Maritime solutions apply our communication, GPS and datalink capabilities to provide net-enabled situational awareness across a variety of surface and sub-surface platforms.
Commercial Systems
Our Commercial Systems business supplies aviation electronics systems, products and services to customers located throughout the world. The customer base is comprised of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of commercial air transport as well as business and regional aircraft, commercial airlines and fractional interest and other business aircraft operators. Our systems and products are used in both OEM applications as well as in retrofit and upgrade applications designed to increase the efficiency and enhance the value of existing aircraft.
Our commercial aviation electronics systems, products and services include:
• integrated avionics systems, such as the Pro Line Fusion system, which provide advanced avionics capabilities to meet the challenges of operating in the next generation global airspace. Capabilities include synthetic and enhanced vision enabled flight displays, advanced flight and performance management systems, fly-by-wire integrated flight controls and information management solutions to improve operational efficiency
• integrated cabin electronics systems, including cabin management systems, passenger connectivity and entertainment solutions, business support systems to improve passenger productivity and passenger flight information systems
• communications systems and products, such as data link, High Frequency, Very High Frequency and satellite communications systems
• navigation systems and products, including landing sensors to enable fully automatic landings, radio navigation and geophysical sensors, as well as flight management systems
• situational awareness and surveillance systems and products, such as synthetic and enhanced vision systems, surface surveillance and guidance solutions, head-up guidance systems, weather radar and collision avoidance systems
• integrated information management solutions to improve the overall efficiency of flight, maintenance and cabin operations. These include on-board information management systems and connectivity solutions, airborne and ground applications and services, and ground infrastructure and services
• electro-mechanical systems, including integrated pilot control solutions and primary and secondary actuation systems
• simulation and training systems, including full flight simulators for crew training, visual system products, training systems and engineering services
• maintenance, repair, parts and after-sales support services
Commercial Systems product category sales are divided into air transport aviation electronics and business and regional aviation electronics. Product category sales for commercial aviation-related products are delineated based upon the difference in the underlying customer base, size of aircraft and markets served.
Air transport aviation electronics include avionics, cabin systems and flight control systems for large commercial transport aircraft platforms. We design these items as sub-systems and work with the OEMs to integrate our and other suppliers’ products into the flight deck and broader aircraft systems. Our products offered for OEM applications in the air transport category are marketed directly to aircraft OEMs and airline operators, while our products offered for aftermarket applications are primarily marketed to the airline operators.
Business and regional aviation electronics include integrated avionics, cabin management and flight control systems for application on regional and business aircraft platforms. We develop integrated avionics, cabin and flight control solutions for business and regional aircraft OEMs and support them with the integration into other aircraft systems. Products offered for OEM applications in the business and regional aircraft category are marketed directly to the aircraft OEMs. Products offered for aftermarket applications are primarily marketed through distributors for business aviation and directly to regional airlines operators.
Employees
As of September 30, 2009, we had approximately 19,300 employees. Approximately 2,100 of our employees in the U.S. are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining agreements expire in September 2010 with the International Association of Machinists and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which as of September 30, 2009 covered in the aggregate 160 employees located throughout the U.S. The collective bargaining agreements for the balance of the bargaining unit employees are set to expire in May 2013.