Since its introduction in 2014, the National Security Agency Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program has proven very effective in lowering the cost and speeding the accessibility of encryption for critical data-at-rest (DAR). Compared to the time and expense associated with acquiring certification and approval for Type 1 encryption solutions, CSfC has provided a breakthrough for defense and aerospace system integrators by establishing an approved means for using commercial encryption to protect critical data. What makes CSfC innovative is that it provided, for the first time, an authorized process for employing two layers of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) encryption. These could be two layers of hardware, two layers of software, or a mix of hardware and software.

ASHBURN, Va. Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division, supplier of rugged ultra-small form factor (USFF) processing and networking solutions, announced that it won a contract to provide an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer with a rugged avionics system and networking solutions for use on the company’s new aircraft.

By Pat Quinn

Flight test instrumentation (FTI) data-acquisition systems (DASs) use data-acquisition units (DAUs) distributed throughout an aircraft, often in tight spaces, which drives demand for smaller chassis. In parallel, the demand for higher DAU performance is on the rise, resulting in more heat-generating components packed tighter together. Since chassis act as a heat sink for the components inside, a smaller chassis provides less metal to drawing heat away from the components.

By Mike Southworth, Curtiss-Wright

Protecting a military platform’s secret data-in-motion as it’s routed over an Ethernet-based IP network has become significantly easier, more affordable, and faster to deploy in recent years, thanks to U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) support of commercial encryption technologies.