Obsolescence management – Legacy Systems & Fleet Modernization

Karen Salmon CEO / Force Technologies, UK

Luke Fitzpatrick Director - Aerospace & Defence / Rochester Electronics

Marijan Jozic Managing Director / Jozic Engineering & Consultancy , Netherlands

Rob Picken Senior Vice President, Digital & Partnerships / Sourceability, USA

Managing obsolescence in aerospace involves extending the life of 1st/2nd generation systems, often without full documentation or original engineers. Legacy avionics remain common, but retrofitting them to meet modern standards is complex and costly. Integration of new hardware/software with outdated architectures requires deep understanding of original design rationale. Key technical challenges include sourcing end-of-life components, mitigating the risk of counterfeit parts, and maintaining or refactoring legacy codebases. How do we retain engineers with domain expertise in legacy systems and manage compliance and safe system modernization.