Industry News

Unmanned

Common Imagery Processor from Northrop Grumman processes, transmits Global Hawk testbed data - News

March 14, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design Northrop Grumman

BALTIMORE. The Northrop Grumman Common Imagery Processor (CIP) demonstrated the ability to receive, process, and disseminate Global Hawk Block 40 data on the Distributed Common Ground System – Imagery (DCGS-I) testbed in a flight event at China Lake, CA in late 2012. After the testbed received Global Hawk Block 40 concurrent modes data, CIP processed and transmitted the data to downstream ground station components for analysis.

Avionics

Air Force endorses F-16 cockpit Center Display Unit from Raytheon - News

March 14, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Raytheon Company

INDIANAPOLIS. Air Force officials endorsed the Center Display Unit (CDU) from Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC (RTSC) as the F-16 cockpit's primary flight reference (PFR). The Air Force also awarded Raytheon a contract to produce the first 100 CDUs. Full-rate production of these displays is already underway.

Unmanned

Navy orders more Fire Scout unmanned helicopters from Northrop Grumman - News

March 13, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Northrop Grumman

SAN DIEGO. Northrop Grumman won a U.S. Navy contract valued at more than $71 million to build six more next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopters. The Fire Scout endurance upgrade, dubbed the MQ-8C and based on Bell Helicopter's 407, will enable ship commanders to have greater range, endurance, and payload capacity over the current Fire Scout MQ-8B variant.

Comms

Troops learn to free fall, pull rip cord with virtual reality simulation - News

March 12, 2013

Alice Moss PARASIM

Avionics

Virtual F-15SA pilot training to be provided to Saudi pilots by Lockheed Martin - News

March 12, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

ORLANDO, Fla. Lockheed Martin won a $253 million contract agreement to begin designing ground-based maintenance training systems for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA pilots as part of the country’s F-15SA upgrade program.

Unmanned

DARP's TERN mobile-at-sea UAV program poised for development - News

March 11, 2013

Alice Moss U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

Unmanned

Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System qualifies for use on Bell Helicopter 407GT platform - News

March 08, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design BAE Systems

YUMA, AZ. A test of BAE System’s Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) in Yuma, AZ proved the weapon’s safety and sustainability on a Bell Helicopter 407GT, leading to Bell’s qualification of the rocket for use on the platform. Seven APKWS 70 mm rockets were fired from the 407GT as part of the testing.

Comms

Sixty-six military installations to benefit from SAIC/Navy contract - News

March 07, 2013

Alice Moss SAIC

Unmanned

Northrop Grumman designates five centers of excellence in consolidation effort - News

March 07, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design Northrop Grumman

FALLS CHURCH, VA. Northrop Grumman has designated five U.S. centers of design and integration excellence as part of a long-term effort to reduce facilities and costs. The centers will consolidate work supporting the company’s Aerospace Systems sector in the areas of manned aircraft, unmanned systems, and electronic attack, and integrate work from elsewhere at sites in Florida, New York, and California. Northrop also announced plans to close its Dominguez Hills, CA, Information Systems sector facility, and complete the closure of the Norwalk, CT site.

Comms

Air Force Infrared surveillance satellites contract won by Lockheed Martin - News

March 06, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

SUNNYVALE, CA. Lockheed Martin won a $284.4 million fixed-price Air Force contract to supply long lead parts for the fifth and sixth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites that are in the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) missile warning constellation.

Avionics

FACE Edition 2.0 avionics standard approved and published - News

March 04, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems The Open Group

DAYTON, OH. Officials at the Open Group announced that the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE™), Edition 2.0, -- has been unanimously approved and published by organization's Governing Board. The FACE standard essentially enables software applications that have the common FACE API to have portability across multiple avionics platforms -- from rotary wing to fixed wing to unmanned aircraft.

Avionics

First MH-60 Digital Cockpit completed for Australian Romeo helicopter - News

March 04, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

AVALON, Australia. Lockheed Martin engineers finished the 400th Common Cockpit avionics suite for the U.S. Navy’s MH-60 Seahawk helicopter program. The digital cockpit will be integrated on the first of 24 MH-60R (Romeo) anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopters to be procured by the Royal Australian navy through the U.S. Government’s Foreign Military Sales program.

Avionics

Boeing, Sikorsky X2 Technology proposed for Army's JMR FVL - News

March 01, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design Boeing Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company

WASHINGTON. Boeing and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. will submit a joint proposal to build a demonstrator aircraft based on Sikorsky’s X2 Technology design for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) Phase 1 program, which supports the Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) initiative.

Cyber

DHS/Raytheon collaboration to bolster cybersecurity for critical infrastructure - News

March 01, 2013

Brandon Lewis - Technology Editor, Embedded Computing Design Raytheon Company

WASHINGTON. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will collaborate with Raytheon under the Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) program outlined in President Obama's recent “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity” Executive Order. In a Memorandum of Agreement, Raytheon will receive information on active malicious cybersecurity threats from the DHS and use the indicators to protect sectors of critical infrastructure, including the defense industrial base.

Radar/EW

UK MOD Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe system capability completes trials - News

March 01, 2013

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems Raytheon Company

HARLOW, England. Raytheon UK and Thales UK engineers conducted over-the-air Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interoperability tests at Raytheon's Matching Green test range. The trials used the Thales TSA1412 Interrogator and Raytheon UK's IFF4810 Transponder, which also is the standard fit SIFF (Successor IFF) product, that features the Mode 5-enabled upgrade.