Aptiv's Winchester Interconnect Launches VITA 67.2 RF Connector Product Line for High-Density Aerospace and Defense Systems
Connectors put up to eight RF channels inside a single Open VPX slot, reducing external cabling and accelerating field repair for radar, electronic warfare, and intelligence platforms
Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV), a global industrial technology company and Winchester Interconnect, an Aptiv company and leading supplier of high-performance interconnect solutions for mission critical applications, today launched a VITA 67.2 RF connector product line that places up to eight high-frequency signal channels directly inside a standard Open VPX backplane slot. By eliminating most of the external coaxial cabling traditionally required in aerospace and defense systems, the connectors make room for more compute, more sensors, and faster signals inside the same enclosure.
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Aptiv's Winchester Interconnect introduces its VITA 67.2 RF connector line, delivering up to eight high-density RF channels in a single Open VPX slot to streamline cabling and enable faster field repair across aerospace and defense applications, including radar, electronic warfare, and intelligence systems.
The tradeoff between bandwidth and space has become a central design challenge for modern defense electronics. Radar arrays, signals intelligence receivers, and electronic warfare payloads must handle more frequencies and channels at once, while platform integrators face tighter size, weight, and power budgets than the previous generation. Routing RF cabling on the outside of the chassis adds mass, slows field repair, and introduces points of failure during shock and vibration. Moving those signal paths inside the connector solves all three at once, which is one reason VITA 67.2 has become a standard reference for designs aligned with the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA), the open-standards framework now shaping the next decade of U.S. defense procurement.
"With the addition of VITA 67.2 solutions to our growing line of multiport gangmate interconnect products, we are further solidifying our ability to support next-generation high-density RF applications," said Leslie Sullivan, Director of Product Management. "This latest addition allows us to further expand our robust, high-performance interconnect portfolio while offering customers reliable, space-saving solutions for use in today's demanding aerospace and defense platforms."
Key Advantages of the Vita 67.2 RF Connector Product Line
- Field-Serviceable Blind-Mate Engagement: Modules push straight into the backplane and seat automatically, with no precise alignment or twist-to-lock step, reducing board swaps from a multi-step process to a single push-in motion.
- Built-In Float: Each RF contact moves in multiple directions to absorb the small manufacturing tolerances that exist on every backplane, keeping signal quality consistent through repeated installations and high-vibration environments.
- Higher RF Density per Slot: Up to eight SMPM (Sub-Miniature Push-on Micro) coaxial contacts per module, raising channel count without enlarging the footprint.
- Standard VPX Footprint: Installs into the 6U Open VPX slot positions (P5/J5 and P6/J6) used across the current defense computing base, fully compatible with VITA 46.
- Wide Frequency Range: DC to 26.5 GHz standard, with options to 40 GHz for next-generation high-bandwidth designs.
- Qualified for the Hardest Environments: Stainless steel housing and gold-plated contacts, environmentally qualified to MIL-STD-810 and VITA 47 for shock and vibration.
Built for the Programs Driving Defense Modernization
The new connectors target the systems where RF density and field serviceability matter most:
- Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electronic Counter Measures (ECM): Higher channel counts per chassis support the broader frequency coverage and faster response cycles required of modern jamming and countermeasure systems.
- Signals Intelligence (SIGINT): Dense, low-loss RF paths enable wideband simultaneous capture across multiple bands without external cabling penalties.
- Radar and Sonar Systems: Transmit and receive module connections for digital beamforming arrays across X-band, Ku-band, and beyond.
- Avionics and Secure Communications: Reliable, vibration-tolerant RF links for flight-critical platforms.
- C4ISR Platforms: Direct backplane integration between high-performance VPX compute modules and RF front-end systems, reducing harness complexity in dense sensor-to-shooter architectures.
Built to the OpenVPX (VITA 65) standard, the new connectors interoperate across the broader VPX ecosystems, giving dense integrators a connector they can specify with confidence today and a supplier that is investing alongside the open-standards roadmap shaping the next decade of defense electronics.
For more information about Winchester's latest connector solutions, visit www.winconn.com.
About Aptiv
Aptiv PLC (NYSE:APTV) is a global industrial technology leader delivering advanced solutions people trust when it matters most across automotive, commercial vehicle, aerospace and defense, telecom and datacom, and other diversified industrial end markets. Our differentiated portfolio enables devices and systems to sense, think, act, and continuously optimize performance. Building on decades of innovation, Aptiv brings global scale and a resilient, localized value chain to customers across the globe. Learn more at Aptiv.com.
About Winchester Interconnect
Winchester Interconnect, a subsidiary of Aptiv PLC, is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-precision connectors, cable assemblies, and cables for mission-critical applications in military, aerospace, industrial, medical, and space markets where unmatched performance and reliability are essential. With engineering and manufacturing locations around the world, Winchester partners closely with customers to deliver customized interconnect solutions that perform in the most demanding environments. Winchester Interconnect is part of Aptiv's Engineered Components Group, which brings together materials science, advanced manufacturing, and interconnect expertise to power the next generation of intelligent systems across industries. Learn more at www.winconn.com.
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Lisa Scalzo
Aptiv Corporate Communications
lisa.scalzo@aptiv.com
Brooke Sinko
Winchester Interconnect Corporate Communications
b.sinko@winconn.com