Raytheon TSCE software delivered to U.S. Navy for DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer testing
NewsJanuary 17, 2013
TEWKSBURY, MA. More than six million lines of code for the Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) integrated mission systems of the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program have been delivered to the U.S. Navy by Raytheon. One of the most complex software development programs in Navy history, as well as the first large-scale implementation of the Navy's Open Architecture strategy, the Raytheon TSCE software will support combat system and ship activation testing, which is scheduled for later this year.
The TSCE is designed to connect all Zumwalt systems by creating a shipboard enterprise network that integrates all on-board systems. Kevin Peppe, Vice President of Seapower Capability Systems for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business commented on the upcoming DDG 1000 testing, "The upcoming tests and ship activation will demonstrate the robust capability and functionality of TSCE, the integrating element delivering mission wholeness for this revolutionary new warship."
Utilizing an open-architecture approach to offer scalability for cost-efficient new mission capabilities, the TSCE allows the Navy to leverage standardized Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) hardware and software across the fleet. Delivering a high level of modularity and automation, the TSCE will be a key tenent of reuse for other platforms, and deliver a significant reduction in manning Zumwalt-class destoyers thanks in large part to its sailor-centric human-computer interface. Currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, Raytheon's TSCE recently demonstrated the ability to perform in end-to-end operational environments, successfully completing automated control tests of its Integrated Power System and Engine Control System capabilities on the Navy's first all-electric ship at a land-based Navy test site.
The TSCE includes all shipboard computing applications, from Command, Control, Communications, Computers (C4), and intelligence equipment to Combat Management Systems (CMSs) to machinery control and embedded training, support, and damage control systems. Raytheon is contracted as the primary mission systems equipment integrator for the DDG 1000 program's electronic and combat systems, though the TSCE architecture is the product of a collaboration between Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Navy laboratories, and others.
Peppe continued, "We attribute TSCE success to the rigorous process employed by the incredibly talented industry team, building in incremental testing throughout development to verify quality, mitigate risk, and detect any defects early enough to avoid any impact to the Navy's schedule or cost."
