Curtiss-Wright and Airbus Defence and Space Collaboration Delivers Pre-Validated Digital Map Solution


SferiAdvise Digital Map and Mission Management Solution is Pre-Validated with Rugged COTS Board-Sets for Rotary-Wing Platforms



ASHBURN, Va. – Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that its Defense Solutions division, in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space, has introduced the SferiAdvise System Ready Application (SRA), a new pre-validated, pre-tested digital map, flight plan, and helicopter terrain awareness and warning system (HTAWS) solution.  It provides system designers with a verified software and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) module solution, yet adds no additional cost. The SferiAdvise SRA, which supports both 3U VPX and 6U VME form factor modules, eases and speeds the integration of digital map and mission management applications in defense and aerospace rotary-wing platforms.



"We are very pleased to collaborate with Airbus Defence and Space to offer system integrators pre-tested and pre-validated cost-effective solutions for digital mapping and mission management," said Lynn Bamford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Defense Solutions division. "Our System Ready Application approach reduces design risk and cuts costs and time to market, helping to ensure the success of our customers' system designs."



SferiAdvise SRA Performance Features:



•Â Â Â  Digital Map:  Capable of displaying raster maps in all relevant formats and scales in accordance with the requirements defined by DO-257. 



•Â Â Â  Flight Plan: In accordance with DO-257, the SferiAdvise SRA uses the GAMA protocol interface to receive and display flight plan information from a Flight Management System (FMS).  When not interfaced to the FMS, it can process and display pre-loaded flight plans in accordance with real-time navigation data.



•Â Â Â  HTAWS: The SferiAdvise SRA provides predictive (as opposed to reactive) aural and visual warnings of terrain and obstacle threats in accordance with, and surpassing, the requirements of DO-309 for rotary wing platforms.



The SferiAdvise SRA combines the Airbus Defence and Space's popular SferiAdvise Digital Map and Mission Management Solution and Curtiss-Wright rugged VPX-based commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) board-sets.  Two different configurations of the SferiAdvise SRA are currently available, one for use in VPX-based systems and the other for use with VME architectures.



The pre-validated VPX board-set consists of Curtiss-Wright's recently announced VPX3-150 3U VPX Single Board Computer (SBC) and VPX3-718 Graphics Controller Module. Both of these compact, small form factor boards support DO-254 DAL C and DO-178C DAL C certifiability to speed development while reducing the cost and risk of safety-certifiable aviation systems. The associated DO-178B DAL C certification artifacts are also available for SferiAdvise.



The VME board-set combines SferiAdvise and Curtiss-Wright's VME-186 SBC and XMC-715 Graphics Controller mezzanine card. This board-set, designed for applications that require higher performance, supports certifiability to DO-178C DAL C.



About Curtiss-Wright SRAs



Curtiss-Wright's pre-verified SRA solutions reduce design risk from the process of integrating new application functionality into embedded systems without adding cost. Because the test and verification for the software and Curtiss-Wright modules has already been performed, SRAs ease the development of demanding deployed applications, including digital moving maps, situational awareness, and cockpit and vehicle displays. Using these pre-qualified and validated SRAs to add capabilities such as HMI, Digital Maps and Cross Domain Solutions, significantly speeds their integration into embedded systems.



SRA Advantages:



•Â Â Â  Complete hardware and software solution from Curtiss-Wright providing a single point of contact for the customer



•Â Â Â  Pre-tested and validated as an integrated solution



•Â Â Â  Minimizes design risk



•Â Â Â  Reduces cost and schedule



Complete System Solutions



The SferiAdvise SRA is the latest pre-tested, pre-validated hardware/software solution to be offered by Curtiss-Wright.  SRA solutions are offered across all Curtiss-Wright system architectures by combining our wide range of Intel® and Power® Architecture-based SBCs, with our industry-leading graphics controllers and all the software components required.  Curtiss-Wright's wide range of hardware options, industry leading software support and wide range of chassis and integrated systems enables us to offer SRAs for integration into existing systems or packaged in a turnkey rugged deployable system.



About Curtiss-Wright Corporation



Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE:CW) is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets.  Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide.  For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.



About Airbus Defence and Space



Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe's number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs some 40,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €14 billion per year.




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