COTS Journal, December 2023

December 2023, Volume 25 - Number 12 • cotsjournalonline.com

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL

Fortifying National Security: The Imperative of Secure Data Storage in Military Operations The Defense and Aerospace Industry Should not Ignore Recent Trends in Protocols

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing COTS (kots), n. 1. Commercial off-the-shelf.

Terminology popularized in 1994 within U.S. DoD by SECDEF Wm. Perry’s “Perry Memo” that changed military industry purchasing and design guidelines, making Mil-Specs acceptable only by waiver. COTS is generally defined for technology, goods and services as: a) using commercial business practices and specifications, b) not developed under government funding, c) offered for sale to the general market, d) still must meet the program ORD. 2. Commercial business practices include the accepted practice of customer-paid minor modification to standard COTS products to meet the customer’s unique requirements.

JOURNAL

—Ant. When applied to the procurement of electronics for he U.S. Military, COTS is a procurement philosophy and does not imply commercial, office environment or any other durability grade. E.g., rad-hard components designed and offered for sale to the general market are COTS if they were developed by the company and not under government funding.

SPECIAL FEATURE 16

Fortifying National Security: The Imperative of Secure Data Storage in Military Operations

By Chris Kruell, Head of Marketing, CDSG

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 19

DEPARTMENTS 6

Publishers Notes Great River Technology Unveils XL High-Speed ARINC 818 Sensor test Card: A Revolutionart Leap in Sensor Testing

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The Inside Track

The Defense and Aerospace Industry Should not Ignore Recent Trends in Protocols

By Angelo Corsaro, PhD, CEO/CTO, ZettaScale Technology

COT’S PICKS 22

Editor’s Choice for December

Cover Image C-5 Galaxy loads cargo at Joint Base Charleston, S.C..

West Virginia Air National Guard aircrew members assigned to the 167th Airlift Wing perform post-flight checks inside the cockpit of a C-5 Galaxy, July 22, 2013, at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. Airmen from the 167th AW loaded cargo onto the C-5 to be used to support Operation Enduring Freedom. The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world and the largest airlifter in the Air Force inventory. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Dennis Sloan)1

COTS Journal | December 2023

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The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL EDITORIAL

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

John Reardon, Publisher

Great River Technology Unveils XL High-Speed ARINC 818 Sensor Test Card:

A Revolutionary Leap in Sensor Testing

In the dynamic landscape of aerospace technology, the pursuit of high-speed target recognition encounters a relentless challenge – the ever-escalating speed of objects and the precision required to address them. Great River Technology has emerged as a trailblazer, assembling a team of visionaries to explore the innovative use of ARINC 818; this has contributed significantly to Prime Contractors and the low-latency video transfer they require. This groundbreaking approach aims to address a myriad of applications today’s warfighters face.

ARINC 818: The increasing precision required Real-time determination of an object’s speed and direction has propelled sensor and image-capturing capabilities beyond the comprehension of most humans. The mind-boggling speeds of a supersonic missile at Mach 5 mean that it would cover

approximately 1875 yards in one second. ARINC 818 takes center stage as the optimal choice, surpassing alternatives like AFDX. Designed initially as a video-specific bus for avionics, ARINC 818 has proven its versatility by excelling in precisiondemanding, low-latency applications.

XL Card: Catalyst for RVS 2.0 Innovation The unveiling of the XL High-Speed ARINC 818 Sensor Test Card was pivotal in Collins Aerospace and Boeing’s collaborative development and testing of the RVS 2.0 system.

The RVS 2.0 vision system represents a monumental leap for the Air Force’s KC-46 fleet boom operators. Leveraging 4K ultra-high-definition cameras, this system offers operators a vivid, sharp 3D image for precise guidance during aerial refueling maneuvers. The XL card emerged as an essential component in testing the RVS 2.0 system, showcasing Great River’s critical role in facilitating the development of this state-of-the-art vision system.

ARINC 818: Revolutionizing Avionics Digital Video Bus ARINC 818, or Avionics Digital Video Bus (ADVB), is the industry standard for high-bandwidth, low-latency, critical video systems. Adopted by major commercial and military aerospace programs, including the F-18, C-130, Boeing 787, Airbus A400M, and the A350XWB, ARINC 818 has revolutionized high-performance video systems.

Introduction to ARINC 818 Released in January 2007, ARINC 818 addresses the need for high-performance, uncompressed digital video transmission in aerospace applications. Building on the Fiber Channel

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Audio Video (FC-AV) protocol used in earlier programs, ARINC 818 provides a standardized solution for high-speed video systems.

Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS), Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/ IR) systems, 3D displays, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Key features include:

Overview of ARINC 818 Protocol ARINC 818 operates as a point-to-point, encoded serial protocol for transmitting video, audio, and data. Packetized with a strong focus on video-centric functionality, the protocol allows the multiplexing of multiple video streams on a single link or transmitting a single stream over a dual link. The protocol defines four video classes, accommodating simple asynchronous to stringent pixel-synchronous systems.

Video Concentration and De-concentration: Facilitating the concentration and de-concentration of multiple sensors onto a single link while maintaining frame synchronous timing.

The protocol’s versatility extends to video formats, color encoding schemes, timing classes, and embedded data sizes.

Acknowledging the impracticality of a universal system, each program defines an Interface Control Document (ICD), streamlining project scope and implementation complexities.

Pixel Format Compatibility: Providing comprehensive support for various pixel formats used by optical and infrared sensors, including Bayer video.

Initially conceived for uncompressed video and audio, ARINC 818 has adapted to evolving needs. The rise of high-resolution sensors, UAV/UAS with bandwidth-limited downlinks, and data-only applications has prompted discussions on link compression and encryption, balancing detail levels in the specification to align with contemporary application demands.

The dynamic nature of ARINC 818 positions it as a resilient solution, continuously evolving to meet the complexities of high-speed target recognition.

The adoption of ARINC 818 spans various critical systems within aircraft, including infrared and optical sensors, map/ chart systems, synthetic vision, Heads-Up Displays (HUDs), Multi-Function Displays (MFDs), video concentrators, and other subsystems. Its versatility makes it a preferred choice for taxi and take-off assistance, cargo loading, navigation, target tracking, collision avoidance, and more.

As ARINC 818 continues to be embraced by military programs, graphics and video system designers must familiarize themselves with the protocol, implementation issues, and available development tools. The standard’s proven success in commercial and military aerospace programs positions it as the de facto standard for high-performance military video systems.

Features of the XL High-Speed ARINC 818 Sensor Test Card The XL card, designed as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solution, caters to the evolving demands of next-generation

Support for 4K+ Stereo Displays: Incorporating support for high-resolution 4K+ stereo displays, offering robustness testing capabilities, error injection, and consideration for channel skew.

ARINC 818 Link Rates: Supporting ARINC 818 link rates ranging from 12.0 Gbps to 28.05 Gbps, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of high-speed sensor applications.

Great River Technology: A Leader in ARINC 818 Implementation Founded to provide performance digital video and data development tools for the military and aerospace industry, Great River Technology demonstrates a commitment to SWAP-C solutions. The company’s team of engineers has actively contributed to standards and review committees, showcasing creativity in addressing the dynamics of the aerospace industry.

Great River Technology offers a comprehensive product suite for ARINC 818 video generation, capture, conversion, and analysis, supporting the entire life cycle of ARINC 818-enabled equipment. Additionally, the company provides IP Cores, embedded circuit cards, and video converter modules for seamless integration into airborne systems, significantly reducing development time and costs.

Conclusion The unveiling of the XL High-Speed ARINC 818 Sensor Test Card by Great River Technology marks a significant milestone in the evolution of sensor testing and avionics digital video systems. With its robust features and successful testing of the RVS 2.0 platform, the XL card showcases Great River Technology’s commitment to innovation in the aerospace industry. As ARINC 818 continues to shape the landscape of high-performance video systems, the collaboration between industry leaders and technology providers becomes pivotal in defining the future of avionics.

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Keysight 400GE Network Cybersecurity Test Platform Validates Fortinet’s Hyperscale DDoS Defense Capabilities • Scalable test platform generates both legitimate and malicious traffic at multi-terabit, hyperscale volumes, realistically emulating DDoS attack mitigation of carrier-grade network loads • Facilitates the transition to 400GE and reduces costs by offering compatibility with existing infrastructure using 8x400GE test ports with fanout support to 200/100/50/40/25/10GE • Single pane of glass management simplifies test configuration and system upgrades, reducing overall test time and system maintenance Keysight Technologies, Inc. announces that Fortinet chose the Keysight APS-M8400 network cybersecurity test platform to validate the hyperscale distributed denial of service (DDoS) defense capabilities and carrier-grade performance of its FortiGate 4800F next-generation firewall (NGFW).

The APS-M8400 is the industry’s first and highest density 8-port 400GE Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) network security test platform.

Carrier networks, data center operators, and service providers are facing exponential growth in cyber-attacks, including DDoS attacks, which have increased by 40% in the last six months. The scope and scale of these DDoS attacks are also growing, as evidenced by the recent record-breaking Rapid Reset attack, which peaked at 398 million requests per second (RPS).

Fortinet developed the FortiGate 4800F NGFW, which is powered by 16 NP7 network processors, to help carriers, data center operators, and service providers protect their critical network infrastructure and services from hyperscale DDoS attacks and other cybersecurity threats while continuing to process multi-terabit volumes of legitimate customer traffic driven by the growing adoption of 400GE. Needing an application and security test solution powerful enough to validate the carrier-grade performance and security capabilities of the FortiGate 4800F NGFW before deploying in a live customer network, Fortinet turned to Keysight’s APS-M8400.

Using the Keysight APS-M8400, Fortinet validated the cybersecurity capabilities of the FortiGate 4800F NGFW using: 8

COTS Journal | December 2023

• Carrier-Grade Traffic Generation – The APS-M8400 platform generated 3 Tbps of legitimate and malicious traffic in a single test, validating the hyperscale firewall protection offered by the FortiGate 4800F, which successfully defended against an 800 Gbps layer 2-3 DDoS attack while continuing to deliver 2.2 Tbps of legitimate layer 4-7 traffic, without taxing CPU, memory usage, or system responsiveness.

• Port Density and Flexibility – Fortinet used all of the APS-M8400’s 8x400GE QSFD-DD interfaces to send traffic across all available 400GE test ports on the FortiGate 4800F. Each of the APS-M8400’s 8x400GE QSFD-DD interfaces can fan out to 200/100/50/40/25/10GE, offering Fortinet the flexibility to test multiple port configurations like the 12x200GE/100GE/40GE and up to 12x50GE/25GE/10GE test ports supported by the FortiGate 4800F. • Hyperscale Throughput and Scalability – The APS-M8400’s extensible aggregation of compute node resources and Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) resources allowed Fortinet to scale up the test bed to generate the 3 Tbps of traffic needed to test the FortiGate 4800F effectively.

The APS-M8400 features a pay-as-you-grow model, enabling users to scale in multi-chassis mode to generate more than 12 Tbps of layer 4-7 traffic, 3.2 Tbps of layer 2-3 traffic, 9.6 Tbps of Transport Layer Security (TLS) traffic, 20 billion concurrent connections, and 220 million connections per second of legitimate and malicious test traffic in a single test.

• Ease of Management – APS-M8400’s intuitive, single pane of glass management allowed Fortinet to easily configure the multiple compute nodes and FPGA resources required to run a hyperscale, multi-terabit test. This reduced their overall test time and system maintenance, freeing up users to focus on other critical efforts.

John Maddison, Executive Vice President of Products and Chief Marketing Officer at Fortinet, said: “The FortiGate 4800F is the industry’s fastest compact hyperscale firewall, offering carrier-grade

performance and scalability to safeguard data centers and service providers as cyberattacks continue to accelerate at an unprecedented pace. Powered by 16 of Fortinet’s custom-built seventh-generation network processors, this NGFW delivers the necessary 400GE port density, multi-terabit application throughput, and session scalability to protect customers against DDoS attacks. This is validated by Keysight’s innovative APS-M8400 8x400GE cybersecurity test platform, proving that the FortiGate 4800F delivers the hyperscale performance and real-time threat protection our customers expect.”

Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager at Keysight Network Test and Security Solutions said: “Cybersecurity threats like DDoS attacks are continually increasing in scope, scale, and impact on their potential victims. It is vital that carriers, service providers, and data centers protect their critical infrastructure from these attacks to continue serving the hyperscale volumes of legitimate traffic that continue to grow rapidly. Keysight’s APS-8400 helps network equipment manufacturers like Fortinet validate that their solutions are up to the task, delivering carrier-grade application and cybersecurity test loads in a flexible, 8x400GE solution that can grow with their changing needs.

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Algorithmic demonstrates a path to quantum utility with IBM

Algorithmic, a scaleup developing quantum algorithms to solve the most complex problems in life sciences, has successfully run one of the largest scale error mitigation experiments on IBM’s hardware. This achievement positions them, with IBM, as front runners to reach quantum utility for real-world use cases.

The experiment was run with Algorithmiq’s proprietary error mitigation algorithms on the IBM Nazca, the 127 qubit Eagle processor, using 50 active qubits x 98 layers of CNOTS and thus a total of 2402 CNOTS gates. This significant milestone for the field results from a collaboration between the two teams, who joined forces back in 2022 to pave the way toward achieving the first useful quantum advantage for chemistry.

Quantum computers, when operated, still have high levels of errors that stand in the way of performing meaningful large-scale calculations on the hardware. One of the biggest challenges in quantum computing is overcoming such noise in the execution. Error mitigation techniques are designed to enable running algorithms in the presence of errors. They, however, typically become very runtime inefficient as the problem size and qubit numbers increase. Scalable error mitigation is at the core of Algorithmiq’s drug discovery platform, Aurora. It is precisely what was validated on stage at IBM’s most anticipated annual Quantum Summit – a yearly event where IBM showcases the latest advancements in the quantum space to its clients and close partners and reveals next year’s hardware development roadmap.

Advancing into the era of quantum utility with Tensor-network Error Mitigation techniques The results were obtained using Algorithmiq’s proprietary Tensor Network Error Mitigation (TEM) techniques applied to an experiment carried out in collaboration with Ivano Tavernelli’s team at IBM Zurich and designed in conjunction with John Goold’s group at Trinity College Dublin. The powerful technique fully mitigated the noise even as the depth of the circuit increased, a regime where the best error mitigation methods would usually fail to work and recover the quantum signal from practically nothing (at a value nearing 0).

Algorithmiq’s stateof-the-art methods can recover the signal in regimes where some of the previous error mitigation.

Methods must significantly improve measurement overhead, translating into much faster computations within hours instead of tens of years.

The impact of these experiments builds the foundations necessary for applying quantum computation at scale, which will remain relevant along the path to the fault-tolerance era.

Professor Sabrina Maniscalco, Co-Founder and CEO of Algorithmic, said, “It’s a great honor to present this successful milestone with IBM’s team at the IBM Summit. Today, it further confirms that Algorithmiq’s core error mitigation techniques are powerful and will enable largescale experiments on specific use cases, leading us well into the quantum utility era for real commercial applications. I’ve dedicated over 20 years of my life to studying noisy quantum systems as a Professor, and I never thought this type of experiment would be possible so soon.

Needless to say, I’m extremely excited about the goals we’ve set ourselves for 2024. Today’s results are just the beginning!”

Quantum chemistry application results with AstraZeneca Further to the announcement of the error mitigation technique, Sabrina Maniscalco, CEO and Co-founder of Algorithmiq was back on stage to present additional key achievements by the team’s latest published results, this time with AstraZeneca, IBM, and the Hartree Centre on novel approach suitable to study proton transfer reactions which treat both electrons and nuclei with the same quantum mechanics. Combining the latter with Algorithmiq’s hardware-adapted fermion-to-qubit mapping and compilation algorithms drastically reduced the quantum hardware requirements compared to existing methods (we have observed up to 54% reduction in number of noisy operations) and laid the

groundwork for the first hardware experiments.

Guillermo García-Pérez, CSO and cofounder of Algorithmiq: “The significance of these results demonstrates the power of our key enabler, informationally complete measurements which, when combined with best in class hardware are the stepping stone to any scalable quantum simulation and the basis for any meaningful application.”

A new chapter for Qiskit Nature within Algorithmiq To cement Algorithmiq’s lead in the quantum chemistry software space, IBM announced in their latest blog that the startup would become the new owner of Qiskit Nature code, IBM’s highly curated quantum community for chemistry. This news comes as part of a series of changes to the Qiskit Ecosystem, welcoming external partners to maintain the repositories and provide the communities a greater role in developing algorithms and applications.

Matteo Rossi, CTO and co-founder of Algorithmiq commented: “We’re excited to be the trusted new code owners of Qiskit Nature.

With our team’s expertise in state-of-the-art methods in quantum chemistry and quantum computing, and by collaborating closely with the community, we aim to develop software that empowers researchers and companies to address the profound quantum simulation challenges ahead in the natural sciences.”

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Reliable Robotics Flies Large Cargo Aircraft with No One On Board

FAA-approved uncrewed flight test, supervised by a remote pilot, is an important step forward for the aviation industry.

Reliable Robotics, a leader in aircraft automation systems, announced a significant milestone in its work to bring advanced safety-enhancing technologies to market in the United States. Last month’s successful flight of a Cessna 208B Caravan with no one on board was a first for aviation. A remote pilot supervised the uncrewed aircraft from Reliable’s control center 50 miles away. For a 360° experience inside the cockpit, view and scroll around at: https://youtu.be/0W5JHIHq40Q The Reliable autonomous flight system enables the aircraft to be remotely operated by a pilot on the ground and improves safety by fully automating the aircraft through all

phases of operation, including taxi, takeoff, and landing. Reliable’s system is aircraft agnostic and utilizes multiple layers of redundancy and advanced navigation technology to achieve the levels of integrity and reliability necessary for uncrewed flight. The system will prevent controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control in flight (LOC-I), which account for most fatal aviation accidents.

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The Cessna Caravan is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc. Reliable Robotics has been collaborating with Textron Aviation, which includes the Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker brands, and Textron Aviation focused on sustainable flying. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 3,000 Caravans, proving it the world’s most popular turboprop utility aircraft.

“Textron Aviation is committed to delivering continuous aviation improvements, and our relationship with Reliable Robotics advances this work,” said Chris Hearne, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs, Textron Aviation. “Reliable’s successful flight of an uncrewed Cessna 208 Caravan represents a milestone for the industry in bringing new technology to aviation.”

The Caravan and other regional cargo aircraft are essential in connecting communities and businesses across the United States and

around the globe. With a useful load of over 3,000 pounds and a takeoff performance to operate from shorter runways, these aircraft deliver time-sensitive shipments to many places that would otherwise not have next-day or same-day service. Remote piloting will allow even more areas to benefit from this critical service.

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Belgium And Lockheed Martin Celebrate Rollout Of First F-35A For Belgium

Lockheed Martin presented Belgium’s first F-35A Lightning II to the Belgian government during a rollout ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production facility. This event marks a significant milestone in the Belgian Air Force’s history and strengthens the alliance between the United States and Belgium, a key NATO ally.

“The introduction of the F-35 within the Belgian Air Force will enable us to continue to fulfill all our missions in the coming decades, in cooperation with our allies and partners in NATO, the E.U., and beyond,” said Chief of Defense for the Belgian Armed Forces, Admiral Michel Hofman.

Building on the strong legacy of the F-16, the F-35 will provide the next generation of air power to ensure the Belgian Air Force can fulfill its NATO missions and protect the alliance’s fundamental interests. By serving as the most advanced 21st Century Security solution, the

F-35 will connect assets across domains to increase situational awareness for Belgium and its key European partners.

“We congratulate Belgium on this significant achievement,” said Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, F-35 Joint Program Office program executive officer. “The growth of the F-35 in Europe strengthens international partnerships, interoperability, and warfighting capability and emphasizes the importance the aircraft provides as a deterrent against potential adversaries.”

“With its unmatched capability, connectivity, and interoperability, the 5th Generation F-35 will enable the Belgian Air Force to stay ahead of threats for decades to come,” said Greg Ulmer, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “Today’s milestone would not have been possible without the strong partnership and key contributions from our close partners in Belgian government and industry.”

Senior government and military leaders

from Belgium and the United States attended the ceremony. Belgium’s program of record calls for 34 F-35As. The first aircraft, designated AY-01, will be delivered to the Belgian Air Force next year and will be based at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, where international F-35 pilot and maintainer training takes place.

The F-35 also creates high-quality, longterm employment opportunities for Belgium.

Through the Essential Security Interest (ESI) program, Lockheed Martin will bring cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and benefits, expanding the Belgian industry’s skills and knowledge and providing high-tech jobs for Belgians for decades to come.

F-35s are now operating from 31 bases worldwide. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 980 F-35s, trained more than 2,250 pilots and 15,125 maintainers, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed 768,000 cumulative flight hours. Lockheed Martin continues to work alongside F-35 operators to ensure allies remain ahead of the evolving threat.

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Annapolis Micro Systems was awarded $61.6M for RFSoC and versal-based Solutions for Airborne Electronic Warfare

Annapolis Micro Systems, a leading COTS board and systems supplier, has recorded its largest orders, a combined $61.6M for RFSoC & Versal™-Based Solutions for 3U OpenVPX Airborne Electronic Warfare (E.W.). The orders include SOSA™-aligned FPGA Boards, Mezzanine Cards, Switches, Chassis, Backplanes, and Chassis Managers.

The multi-year orders come from two repeat customers: a major Applied Research Laboratory and a Top-10 Defense Contractor.

“Airborne E.W. is extremely challenging due to the requirement to process and respond to threats in real-time while operating in an extreme environment

VideoRay drives underwater exploration for the toughest aquatic missions using Vicor power modules Vicor Powering Innovation podcast discusses the proliferation of ROV applications and how VideoRay is responding to new underwater missions.

Vicor Corporation speaks on the Vicor Powering Innovation Podcast with VideoRay, a leading manufacturer of underwater remote-operated vehicles (ROVs). The conversation explores the rapid growth of ROVs for safely reaching remote underwater locations at extreme depths for extended periods. Demand is rapidly growing, and VideoRay explains how their modular approach enables them to adapt and customize their ROVs for each mission.

VideoRay, a leading manufacturer of underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), offers the safest and most effective way to maintain underwater security, support salvage efforts, and explore the ocean’s depths.

Headquartered in Penn12

COTS Journal | December 2023

sylvania, VideoRay builds ROVs with the latest technology and advanced power delivery networks using high-density power modules.

ROVs are the safest and most effective way to maintain security, support salvage efforts, and explore the ocean’s depths. Designed for dangerous environments, VideoRay software and submersibles are easy to use, portable, versatile, and reliable. Learn about the range of underwater missions VideoRay explores, including search and rescue, infrastructure

that needs to be optimized for size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C). Customers come to us because we have decades of experience delivering advanced E.W. capabilities deployed worldwide in must-not-fail applications,” said Annapolis CTO Noah Donaldson.

These orders put Annapolis on course for a record-breaking revenue year.

“Our investments in technology and our people are paying dividends,” said Annapolis President Nancy Dalton. “We were recently named a Top Workplace by the Baltimore Sun, and we are in the middle of a big building renovation that will deliver more efficient and modern office and lab spaces.”

inspections, recovery, and research.

The Vicor Powering Innovation podcast is available to download from all major podcast providers, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Podcasts. Listeners can learn about today’s toughest power challenges, new ideas in electrification, creative power architectures, and real-life power design challenges.

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INSIDE TRACK Missile Defense Agency, Boeing-Led Industry Team Conduct Early Release Intercept Test

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and a Boeing-led industry team successfully intercepted an intermediate-range ballistic missile in space during the latest Ground-based Midcourse Defense, or GMD, system test. The test validated GMD’s Capability Increment 6B configuration, which gives the Missile Defense Operators more time, space, and flexibility to intercept ballistic missile threats to the U.S. homeland.

During the test, a GMD interceptor released a kinetic-force Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, or EKV, during the rocket booster’s second stage of

Sylatech signals growth with expansion into U.S. markets Leading aerospace design, engineering, and manufacturing business, Sylatech has announced a new milestone in expanding its business in the U.S. by opening a facility at Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, operated by Diplex Inc. Sylatech North America takes forward the next generation of development for the company, having had experience working with prime customers for several years.

Robert Lowther, Sylatech’s Sales Director, said: “The establishment of Sylatech North America demonstrates our firm ambition to grow our sales in this key territory.

“Sylatech has worked with prime custom-

its normally three-stage sequence of flight. The threat-representative target was air-launched from the Broad Ocean Area, and the interceptor was deployed from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

“This successful test is important because it opens up the window of opportunity to intercept threats to our homeland,” said Debbie Barnett, vice president of Strategic Missile & Defense Systems. “We’re committed to continuously enhancing the GMD system’s capability to meet the nation’s rapidly evolving missile defense needs.”

Boeing has supported the GMD program as lead system integrator since its inception in 1998 through development, testing, operations, and

ers in the USA, including Collins Aerospace and Honeywell Aerospace, for many years, and we see significant market opportunities in the aerospace, defense, and space sectors for our antennas, waveguide subsystems, and assemblies.”

With a heritage spanning 59 years in delivering precision custom engineering solutions for our customers, Sylatech’s service offering spans two core technologies: R.F. and Microwave – custom design and manufacture of microwave systems, subsystems, assemblies, and components Investment Casting Foundry – manufacturing precision metal parts through lost wax investment casting.

Joe D’Agostino, Vice President of Diplex, commented, “We are excited and proud to be part of Sylatech’s North American growth and expansion

sustainment. The system has been on alert for nearly two decades and is integral to America’s layered ballistic missile defense architecture.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures, and services commercial airplanes, defense products, and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability, and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality, and integrity. plans. Establishing a Sylatech presence in North America, providing first-level technical support, and stocking products will improve customer service and provide a foundation for growth for Sylatech. Providing services on behalf of Sylatech in North America aligns well with Diplex’s distribution and marketing services”.

As a beneficiary of the leading aerospace change program, Sharing in Growth, Sylatech is undertaking a business transformation program to achieve profitable growth and drive Sylatech towards ‘world-class’ operations and performance.

The Sylatech team works alongside Sharing in Growth’s highly experienced coaches, sharing their industry expertise across several disciplines, including leadership, strategy, culture, lean manufacturing, and business development.

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Mercury Introduces First Commercial Air-to-Ground SAR Radar Flight Testing Simulator

Mercury Systems, Inc. introduced the first commercially available flight testing simulator for air-to-ground synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems. The ARES-SAR product builds on more than 25 years of test and train technology from the Mercury Processing Platform to enable government and commercial organizations to save time and costs by reducing the need for actual flight testing by simulating realistic SAR scenarios on the ground.

SAR systems have become integral for crewed and uncrewed airborne and spacebased systems. These systems allow pilots of fifth-generation fighter jets to navigate safely, target munitions, and perform battle damage assessments in all weather conditions, day or night. They allow satellites to conduct environmental monitoring, mapping, and surveillance missions. A significant portion of the

time and cost of developing these systems is consumed by real-world testing, which today

can cost millions of dollars and require many flight tests over months or years.

ARES-SAR builds on Mercury’s heritage of digital R.F. memory (DRFM)-based electronic warfare training, test, and evaluation solutions. In 2020, the company introduced ARES3100, an advanced radar environment simulator for testing and training air-to-air radar capabilities in a laboratory environment or an anechoic chamber.

ARES-SAR can be employed by itself or alongside ARES3100, as both use Mercury’s software interface that makes it easy to quickly configure multiple test scenarios, including various geographies, imaging modes, targets, environmental effects, and countermeasures.

Development of ARES-SAR was funded by the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation, and the product is in use by several Air Force and Navy customers.

“To ensure technological superiority on the battlefield, organizations responsible for fielding air and space systems must develop and deploy advanced capabilities in a more timely and cost-effective way,” said Roya Montakhab, Mercury’s G.M. of Platform Systems.

“ARES-SAR allows radar systems to undergo robust qualification programs without ever leaving the ground.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Fortifying National Security:

The Imperative of Secure Data Storage in Military Operations

By Chris Kruell, Head of Marketing, CDSG, cdsg.com Introduction In an era marked by escalating cyber threats and technological advancements, the importance of secure data storage for military and federal agencies cannot be overstated.

The increasing reliance on digital systems has exposed sensitive information to potential breaches, making the safety and integrity of military data a paramount concern. From classified intelligence to strategic plans and personnel records, the importance of safeguarding this information resonates deeply with armed forces globally. This article delves into the critical reasons why secure data storage matters to the military, examining the challenges posed by cyber threats and highlighting the measures the Department of Defense (DoD) took to fortify the security of sensitive military data.

Why Secure Data Storage is Essential for the Military The Department of Defense and other federal agencies operate in an environment where

cyber threats are prevalent, mission and other classified information is being used in various insecure settings (including the tactical edge), and the consequences of a security breach can be catastrophic. Therefore, the need for highly secure data storage is crucial due to several factors: Increasingly Complex Threats • Hackers are becoming more advanced, using complex strategies and tools, including AI, to infiltrate networks and access sensitive information.

• The military faces challenges in protecting valuable information due to the increasing use of digital systems and vast amounts of processed data.

The Safety of Our Troops • An undeniable dimension of the importance of secure data storage is its direct impact on the safety of military personnel.

National security hinges on the confidentiality of classified intelligence, strategic plans, and

personnel records. Any unauthorized access or leakage of this data could compromise ongoing operations, endangering the safety of troops and potentially undermining the defense capabilities of a nation.

• Robust security measures, such as encryption and multifactor authentication, emerge as critical components in minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. In a landscape where the stakes are high, the military’s commitment to secure data storage is about protecting information and safeguarding the lives of those in service.

Timely Decision-Making and Operational Effectiveness • Operational effectiveness is a cornerstone of military success, especially in times of conflict or crisis. Rapid decision-making requires accurate and reliable information, and secure data storage ensures the trustworthiness of the data military leaders rely upon when making critical choices.

• There are many scenarios in which secure data collection and storage are paramount, including operations such as Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR). ISR requires that data be rapidly recorded as well as securely stored. ISR aircraft and other surveillance and unmanned vehicles are vulnerable to being captured, so it’s of utmost importance that any stored data cannot be retrieved by unauthorized means.

• Data integrity, maintained through secure storage practices, also ensures that historical records are preserved accurately so they may be used to guide future strategies and missions.

Image 1: Citadel C Series-M.2 NVMe - Hero 16

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Inter-Agency and International Information Sharing • The interconnected nature of

the

Secure data storage ensures that shared intelligence and sensitive information are protected, fostering trust and collaboration in joint military efforts. world with the modern battlefield requires secure information sharing. Different units, departments, and even allies require realtime access to relevant data for coordinated decision-making. Protocols that use secure data storage solutions allow authorized users to share information efficiently while maintaining strict controls over who can access and modify the data.

• This collaborative dimension emphasizes the importance of secure data storage in international relations. Maintaining trust among allied nations and coalition partners is crucial for effective military cooperation.

Secure data storage ensures that shared intelligence and sensitive information are protected, fostering trust and collaboration in joint military efforts.

Protecting the Identities of Service Members • Beyond the strategic and operational considerations, secure data storage plays a pivotal role in protecting the personal information of military personnel. Soldiers entrust their lives to the armed forces, emphasizing the responsibility of military organizations to protect their privacy and well-being. Securely storing personal records, including medical histories, social security numbers, and service records, helps prevent identity theft and potential harm to active duty and retired soldiers.

Measures Taken by the DoD for Secure Sensitive Data Military organizations collect, process, and store an array of sensitive data. If this falls into the wrong hands, it could have disastrous consequences. From tactical maneuvers to

diplomatic communications, every piece of information holds immense value and can give adversaries an unwanted advantage. Therefore, employing robust security measures such as encryption, access controls, and multifactor authentication is paramount to ensure that only authorized individuals can access this high-value data.

The Department of Defense acknowledges the relentless nature of cyber threats, with government agencies consistently targeted by hackers. According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the DoD alone has experienced over 12,000 cyber incidents since 2015. In response, the military employs a variety of strategies, with a layered approach to ensure multiple levels of protection for its data at rest (DAR): DoD Zero Trust Strategy • With the advent of internet-based applications and networked access, the traditional notion of protecting information through perimeter security became ineffective.

Thus, the Zero Trust Architecture was born. The DoD has adopted this approach in its Zero Trust Strategy. It presumes that no entity, whether inside or outside an organization’s network, can be inherently trusted and requires strict network and data access verification.

Deploying Hardware and Software Solutions • Computers and other data storage and recording devices use self-encrypting drives (SEDs) and hardware-based pre-boot authentication (PBA). SEDs and PBA contribute to ZTA by ensuring data is automatically and swiftly encrypted on SSDs via built-in encryption hardware. In addition, hardwarebased PBA requires that authorized personnel

accredit themselves to the SSD itself before a computer or other host will even recognize the SSD. Only after authorization will the system boot or provide data access.

• Without a successful PBA attempt, or even if a bad actor comes across a PBA-protected SSD in the wild, the encrypted SSD appears blank, and no critical information can be obtained from this virtually quantum-proof device.

• Software encryption methods exist, though they are falling out of favor for those who value the speed of encryption and are looking to reduce software vulnerabilities.

Compliance and Regulations In addition to its own foresight in its strategic planning to secure its networks and information, the DoD is subject to various policies and regulations, only a few of which are shown here: The Use of CSfC-Listed Components • While using hardware-based secure data storage technologies is a step in the right direction, military branches and federal agencies are subject to using storage devices listed by the National Security Agency’s (NSA) CSfC program. The Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program was developed to assist government entities in securing classified information using commercial technologies rather than high-cost and lagging technologies provided by custom solutions.

• Until recently, the CSfC storage component list did not contain modern SSDs, and Authorizing Officials (AOs) frequently obtained waivers to be exempt from the CSfC requirement.

This is no longer the case—the CSfC list now has secure SSDs in M.2 PCIe/NVMe and SATA form COTS Journal | December 2023

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factors, so AOs should seek out secure storage solutions that use CSfC-listed storage devices.

CNSSP #11 • The Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) policy #11 requires the use of commercial products that meet NIAP and FIPS standards, particularly those used in layered solutions such as two-layer CSfC solutions.

Custom solutions (GOTS) must be used only as a last resort and be NSA-approved.

• CNSSP #11 applies to all IA and IA-enabled IT products that protect national security systems, including those in the military and their information. Information Assurance (IA) products include technologies such as encryption and access controls that ensure the confidentiality of sensitive and classified information.

Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity • The Executive Order of May 2021 emphasizes improving the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure. This order directs federal agencies, including the military, to implement multifactor authentication and encryption measures to enhance data security.

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Conclusion In summary, the imperative of secure data storage in military operations extends beyond safeguarding information; it directly influences national security, operational effectiveness, inter-agency collaboration, and the protection of service members. The challenges posed by increasingly complex cyber threats necessitate a proactive and multi-faceted approach, as evidenced by the DoD’s initiatives, such as implementing zero trust architecture.

Regulations and guidance, such as the NSA’s CSfC program, CNSSP #11, and the Executive Order of May 2021, provide a framework for the military to navigate the shifting cybersecurity landscape. As the military continues to evolve in response to dynamic cyber threats, investing in robust and reliable data storage solutions remains a cornerstone of national defense and security objectives. Committing to cybersecurity is not merely a technological requirement but a crucial element in upholding the trust and confidence of personnel, allies, and citizens while preserving the nation’s security objectives.

About the Author - Chris Kruell, Director of Marketing As the Director of Marketing, Chris leads the sphere of marketing activities at CDSG, including corporate branding, corporate and marketing communications, product marketing, marketing programs, and marketing strategy. Chris’s wide range of marketing, product, and branding expertise has been acquired in various senior high-tech marketing roles in small and large companies, including the VP of marketing at ERP-Link, an enterprise software company, and Lightfleet, an early-stage hardware startup. He was a marketing director at Sun Microsystems and held several marketing positions in the high-tech industry.

In his spare time, Chris is an alpine climbing instructor and has served as president and board member of the Mazamas, a Portland-based non-profit organization that fosters a love of the mountains. Chris holds a BS degree from Cornell University and an MA from Hamline University.

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

The Defense and Aerospace Industry Should not Ignore Recent Trends in Protocols

By Angelo Corsaro, PhD, CEO/CTO, ZettaScale Technology The OMG Data Distribution Service (DDS) has been successfully adopted and deployed in various defense and aerospace applications ranging from Naval Combat Management Systems to Air Traffic Control and Management.

The standard has been around for 20 years, providing this domain with good service and, more importantly, a way to break vertically integrated proprietary systems.

Today’s Challenges As the defense and aerospace sector moves toward more interconnected and cooperating systems and increasingly requires data to be

managed from the microcontroller up to the data center, DDS-based systems or systems that intend to adopt DDS will face a series of challenges.

DDS was designed to address closed systems running in a relatively well-controlled environment. In other terms, its sweet spot is reliable wired networks and small-scale to medium-scale systems. Its discovery model limits the applicability of DDS in wireless environments and to larger-scale systems. This problem is well documented in the robotics community, where it has become a relatively

severe issue. Consequently, the ROS community has been actively looking for alternative technologies to be adopted as a communication layer. Vendors have played various contortionists to mitigate the issue, but there is an inherent tension between maintaining the DDS semantics, scaling, and remaining standards. In other words, scaling requires either breaking the semantics, the standard, or both.

The question now is: why use DDS? Especially considering that it also comes with a rather steep learning curve for both programmers as well as a complex deployment tuning.

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In recent years, there has been a trend toward unifying the Pub/Sub and the RPC, but the data at rest has always remained a separate world, or at least until recently.

Another important point to consider is that any DDS system not using DDS Security is exposing itself to a series of attacks that are often too easy to initiate. Attacks such as playing with heartbeats or injecting intentionally wrong discovery information.

part of the Eclipse Software Defined Vehicle Working Group.

On the robotics front, the Open Robotics Software Foundation and Intrinsics recently released a report highlighting how, among most existing protocols, including DDS, the one that best addresses the communication requirements of robotics applications is Zenoh.

As a consequence of this report, the decision was made to implement native support for Zenoh in the ROS 2 framework. This is significant as ROS / ROS 2 is globally the most widely used robotics framework. Its uses span across verticals and include aerospace and defense.

Finally, DDS does not easily scale down to constrained environments. The OMG DDSXRCE standard is not “DDS” in the sense that it is a client-server protocol that bridges constrained devices with a DDS domain. This is a single point of failure and potentially introduces additional latency in the distribution path.

Trends in Protocols DDS was developed at a time when there used to be a more or less clear separation between protocols designed to distribute data– of which Publish/Subscribe protocols like DDS MQTT are an example–and protocols used for Remote Procedure Call, such as RPC, CORBA, Java RMI, etc., not to mention Databases, which have always lived in their little corner as such, in a distributed system, the data plane would usually be implemented with a Pub/Sub technology, the control plane with an RPC, and the management layer by a combination of the two technologies. DBMS were everywhere.

In recent years, there has been a trend toward unifying the Pub/Sub and the RPC, but the data at rest has always remained a sep20

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arate world, or at least until recently. The Eclipse Zenoh Project introduced a new innovative protocol that unifies data in motion, data at rest, and computations into a protocol that can span from the tiniest microcontroller to the data center.

The robotics and automotive industry, which had adopted DDS as a consequence of some of the similarities in use cases with defense and aerospace, are now looking with attention at Zenoh. Innovators have been adopting and deploying Zenoh-based solutions for almost two years. The mainstream industry has recognized its relevance to the point that Zenoh was recently included as a critical project as

The Way Forward Following the example of the robotics industry, defense and aerospace applications should start leveraging the Zenoh protocol today by leveraging its DDS plugin. This plugin allows DDS applications to communicate transparently through Zenoh. It is heavily used in the ROS 2 community where DDS communication is constrained to the individual robot, and Zenoh is used for communicating between robots and across the internet.

A high-profile example of its use can be found in the Indy Autonomous Challenge.

Zenoh was providential in enabling communications between the autonomous cars and the infrastructure through a CISCO CURB wireless network. This plugin allows DDS ap-

plications to transparently “talk Zenoh” and provides interoperability between native Zenoh applications and native DDS applications.

Consequently, new applications or functional updates/upgrades to DDS-based systems can leverage Zenoh for performance, scalability, productivity, and reach. An increasing number of green-field systems in defense and aerospace choose Zenoh as the communication protocol. This should be the way forward.

About the Author Angelo Corsaro, Ph., is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at ZettaScale Technology. At ZettaScale, he is working with a world-class team to change the landscape of distributed computing -- working hard to bring to every connected human and machine the unconstrained freedom to communicate, compute, and store — anywhere, at any scale, efficiently and securely.

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December 2023

COT’S PICKS OnLogic releases updates to rugged computer line unveil 1000W industrial power supply In addition to the in-house designed power supply, updates to OnLogic’s rugged computer lineup include the latest Intel® 13th Gen Core™ processors and new connectivity options.

OnLogic has announced the release of the PS1000-1, the company’s first power supply designed specifically for use with OnLogic high-performance computers. The new 1000W power supply is engineered and tested for industrial computing applications and gives OnLogic hardware users even more flexibility when configuring their devices.

Further building upon the updates to their rugged computing line, OnLogic announced that their Karbon 800 Series of rugged computers is now available with Intel® 13th Gen Core™ processors. Meanwhile, the company’s Karbon 430 rugged computer will soon be configurable with additional LAN and COM connectivity. OnLogic will also soon add new Mitac, Cincoze, and Neousys systems to their rugged portfolio.

“We are bringing several exciting new additions to our Rugged Line, which will continue to enable the highest level of reliable computing for our customers, wherever they need to install highly capable hardware,” says David Zhu-Grant, Senior Product Manager at OnLogic. “This includes our first ever OnLogic-designed power supply. We know that advanced computing

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solutions require stable, reliable power, and the PS1000-1 checks a lot of boxes for our customers. OnLogic’s extensive industry testing will save users time and money by providing an industry-first, safety-certified 1000W AC/DC solution out of the box.”

The patent pending PS1000-1 has been engineered with the power delivery challenges of industrial computing applications in mind.

Delivering up to 1000W of DC power at 48V, the PS1000-1 helps to take full advantage of today’s power-hungry GPUs and accelerators, particularly in AI, ML, and other advanced automation applications. Forced air cooling with ball-bearing fans assures all components remain cool even in conditions where shock and vibration may be present. The PS1000-1 has undergone extensive immunity testing and meets international EMC and safety requirements for IT equipment.

Key features of the PS1000-1 • Provides 100% rated power up to 50°C and derates linearly to 50% power at 70°C • Plug and play with compatible OnLogic hardware • Small footprint and multiple mounting options (DIN, wall, feet) • Tested for Railway Immunity EN 501213-2, Medical Immunity 60601-1-2, and Maritime IEC 60945 • Meets requirements specific to EN 50155 and MIL-STD-810G up to 50G shock and 15 hours of random vibration 5 - 500 Hz at ~10 Grams • UL Listed as a standalone power adapter

and uses a standard appliance AC power cable • Updates to OnLogic Rugged Computers The Karbon 800 Series of rugged computers is engineered to help power machine learning, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and automation innovations. Each Karbon 800 model is now available with Intel® 13th Generation processing in a fanless or fanless hybrid chassis designed to be installed wherever it is needed.

The Karbon 430 Rugged Computer packs advanced IoT capabilities of Intel® Atom® x6000E processors into a low profile, highly customizable, rugged, fanless system built for the challenges of the IoT Edge. It will soon be available with optional Dual Port LAN expansion with an M.2 B key slot and SIM, a Single Port COM plus Single LAN port expansion, or a Dual Port COM expansion. The new options in the Karbon 430 are expected to launch in Q1 2024.

Several additional rugged systems are joining OnLogic’s rugged portfolio and will be available soon. These include the Cincoze DX1200, DI-1100, M1101 Monitor Module, the P2202 ADL-P Panel Computer, the Neousys RGS8805GC, and the Mitac MZ1 - 10ADP ADL-S. These new systems, which feature high-powered processors and a range of GPU and accelerator card options, will provide additional options to OnLogic customers looking to implement high computer-power AI solutions.

OnLogic OnLogic.com

December 2023

COT’S PICKS New AXTAL TCXOs Meet Mission Critical Size and Performance Requirements Demanded by New Space Applications

Q-Tech Corporation, a leading global supplier of space-qualified Crystal oscillators and high-performance frequency control systems are introducing their New Space Series temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TCXOs).

Designed by the company’s German affiliate, AXTAL, these New Space Series devices, built with a modern TCXO IC, exhibit low phase noise, highfrequency stability and are fully TID and SEE radiation tested. Optimized for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite timing & frequency generation applications, they are offered in two industry-leading small footprint packages: AXLE5032S (5mm x 3.2mm) and AXLE7050S (7mm x 5mm). Testing and screening for specific customer requirements are offered, and swept crystal versions are available.

Rugged and Powerful Digital MultiMeter I/O Board Now Available from United Electronic Industries United Electronic Industries announces the new 6.5 Digit Digital MultiMeter DNx-DMM-261

Key features of the New Space Series are radiation tolerance to 50 kRad(Si) TID, single event latch-up (SEL) immunity (tested up to 120 MeV-cm 2 /mg), selectable frequency stability (±1 to ±3 ppm) and phase noise floor of -160dBc/Hz (at ≥100 kHz offset). The TCXOs are packaged in hermetically sealed surface-mount ceramic enclosures for robust operation in mission-critical LEO environments.

“Today’s low-earth orbit applications require lower-cost New Space products that offer proven state-of-the-art performance and known radia-

I/O board brings digital multimeter (DMM) functionality to UEI’s popular rugged and easily distributed chassis series. The DNx-DMM-261 board offers several significant improvements over standard DMMs while keeping all the accuracy, functions, and features of common “box” DMMs. A unique capability of this board is its -40 °C to

tion hardness,” said AXTAL’s Managing Director Henry Halang. “The AXTAL New Space Series TCXO’s noise and stability features are optimized to meet all mission-critical specifications. Plus, they offer a unique benefit – their industry-leading small package sizes.”

Q-Tech Corporation q-tech.com

+85 °C operating range, making it ideal for use in various harsh environments such as flight-line testing, ground systems and equipment monitoring, armament testing, and fueling systems.

The DNx-DMM-261, calibrated per the ISO 17025 standard, can be used in all UEI chassis.

The board provides DC voltage input ranges from 300 VDC to 100 mVDC, AC voltage from 250 VAC to 125 mVAC, DC ranges from 2A to 1mA, AC current ranges from 2A to 1 mA plus two and four wire resistance measurement ranges from 100 MΩ to 10 Ω. AC measurements are true RMS. The DNx-DMM-261 board can be used with many cable and screw terminal options as well as with several different switchboards that allow the DMM to easily interface to larger multichannel systems.

The DNx-DMM-261 is supported by the included UEIDAQ Framework, which provides a comprehensive, easyto-use API supporting the most popular operating systems and programming languages. As with all UEI PowerDNA products, the DNx-DMM-261 is backed by UEI’s revolutionary 10-year availability guarantee and a standard 3-year hardware warranty, with the ability to extend up to 10 years to mitigate obsolescence issues.

United Electronic Industries ueidaq.com

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December 2023

COT’S PICKS KRYTAR Announces New Family of Monopulse Comparators Offering UltraBroadband Beamforming Solutions from 0.5 to 40 GHz

KRYTAR, Inc., a leader in designing and producing ultra-broadband microwave components and test equipment, announces a new family of Monopulse Comparators offering beamforming solutions with coverage of multiple microwave bands, from 0.5 to 40 GHz. A KRYTAR Monopulse Comparator is a beamforming network that feeds a phased array of antenna elements. Its purpose is to control the direction of a beam, or beams, of radio transmission.

applications. Offering coverage of multiple microwave bands, from 0.5 to 40 GHz (L- thru Ka-Bands), KRYTAR’s Monopulse Comparators have the advantage over other methods of angular beamforming with excellent functionality and simplicity of use.

KRYTAR Monopulse Comparators are ideal for antenna array beamforming, high-speed radar searching and tracking, multipath simulation and performance evaluation, and many other

Important beamforming properties include Bandwidth, Phase and Amplitude Imbalance, High Isolation, Low Insertion Loss and VSWR, Superior Electrical Performance, and Rugged Designs.

This new family of ten (10) models of Monopulse Comparators uses KRYTAR’s high-performance 180-degree Hybrid Couplers, providing superior phase accuracy, amplitude imbalance, stability, and repeatability all within a single compact

Elma’s Latest CompacFrame Employs 5-slot Air Flow Through Backplane The new system accelerates application development and testing

plications to ensure they are real-world-ready.

We saw the growing use of air flow-through cooling, so we developed this test platform to accommodate our customers’ evolving development scenarios.”

The latest iteration of Elma Electronic’s CompacFrame platforms accommodates a 5-slot VITA 48.8 air flow-through (AFT) backplane. The Type 39A unit is aligned to SOSA and accommodates 3U plug-in cards (PICs) housed in 1.5” comprehensive modules, according to VITA 48.8.

In place of the 5-slot AFT backplane at a 1.5” pitch, the new CompacFrame can accept multiple 1-slot VPX power and ground backplanes in a 1”, 1.2” or 1.5” pitch. The unit includes a VITA 46.11 chassis manager with Ethernet and serial ports accessible at the rear and voltage monitoring LEDS, test points, and zeroize, NVMRO, reset, and power switches on the front panel.

Available in multiple configurations, the CompacFrame development platforms assist in testing and application development for various critical embedded environments. With the addition of the new 5-slot AFT backplane as standard, this unit facilitates air flow-through card and system design implementations and testing for sensor payloads, electronic warfare (EW), and C5ISR as well as target tracking and display, navigation systems, and threat detection.

Ram Rajan, vice president of engineering for Elma Electronic, noted, “Innovative embedded designs now require more inventive ways to cool high-density, performance-based systems that continue to pack more processing and functionality into tighter packaging profiles. Our entire CompacFrame line is designed to assist in the testing and development of ap24

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The card cage of the VITA 48.8 AFT cooling platform provides a five-degree upward tilt for easier access to the 3U cards in the system. A 1400 W ATX power supply unit (PSU) comes standard, and a convenient carrying handle provides easy transport.

By using lightweight jack screws for insertion and extraction into a chassis, VITA 48.8 eliminates card retainers and ejector/injector handles, which, in turn, reduces weight and cost for high-density, high-power dissipation of 3U and 6U module-based

package with coaxial connectors.

KRYTAR. krytar.com

systems. Using a new, lightweight polymer or composite-based chassis is an industry innovation driver by eliminating module-to-chassis conduction cooling.

Elma Electronic’s elma.com

December 2023

COT’S PICKS ViaLite Extension Kits Bring Timing Signals to GPS Black-spots

By enabling remote GPS/GNSS signals to be received where no GPS reception is available, the new RF over fiber (RFoF) GPS extension kits from ViaLite are ideal for delivering timing signals to building interiors and underground facilities such as tunnels and mines.

The GPS or derived timing reference signals are essential for timing and synchronization applications for Base Station timing and by Network Time Protocol (NTP) server networks to maintain the highly accurate clock systems required by today’s computer networks.

ViaLite’s new kits can carry the signals as far as 10 km as standard, and even longer distances of more than 50 km are possible. Unlike traditional coaxial cable, signal transmission over optical fiber can be achieved with no RF loss and zero introduction of noise.

Suitable for GPS (L1, L2, L5), GALILEO, GLONASS, and BeiDou bands, they are compatible with leading providers’ NTP servers, including Microchip and Meinberg.

Anritsu Introduces Butler Matrix Module that Simulates 8x8 MIMO Connection to Support All 5G FR1 Bands Anritsu Company introduces its Butler Matrix 8x8 MA8118A module, simulating 8x8 MIMO connections for efficient 5G UE throughput tests.

Designed for use with the industry-leading Ra-

Among the many application areas for the kits are telco operators, telecom synchronization, banking and finance, data centers, and defense.

Amair Khan, ViaLite Business Development Manager, said: “The kits were developed to make it easier for customers around the world to order undio Communication Test Station MT8000A, the MA8118A Butler Matrix is a transmission path with eight input and eight output ports. It supports the 0.6 GHz to 7.125 GHz 5G Frequency Range (FR 1) bands, expanding the MT8000A’s ability to conduct efficient tests on 5G FR1 UEs. The 8x8 MA8118A augments the existing Anritsu ACC-380 Butler Matrix 8x8 module to cover the 5G FR1 band fully. The MA8118A’s fixed 8x8 MIMO transmission path divides one input signal into eight output ports, minimizing re-cabling when changing test conditions, creating time efficiencies, and improving accuracy and repeatability.

In addition, expanding the frequencies to

der a single part number and not to have to worry about regional power supply differences. They are a simple plug-and-play solution that is very effective in bringing GPS signals to areas where coax fails to do this.”

ViaLiteCommunications vialite.com

cover 0.6 GHz to 7.125 GHz supports the 5G NR unlicensed band and licensed 6 GHz band specified by 3GPP Release 16 and 17, respectively. With the introduction, Anritsu continues to support 5G and addresses the need for test solutions to address the increased number of 5G FR1 frequency band combinations resulting from advanced Carrier Aggregation (CA).

With a 5G base station emulation function, the Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A provides all-in-one support for RF measurements, protocol tests, and applications tests in FR1 (to 7.125 GHz) and Frequency Range (FR) 2 Millimeter-Wave (mmWave) bands. An intuitive GUI supports various application measurements, such as handover tests and quasi-normal and abnormal network tests. Maximum IP data throughput can be measured for various band, CA, and MIMO combinations. Integrating it with an OTA chamber enables mmWave-band RF measurements and beamforming tests using call connections specified by 3GPP. Anritsu anritsu.com

COTS Journal | December 2023

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December 2023

COT’S PICKS Percepio® and Lynx Software Technologies Join Forces to Accelerate Development of Aerospace and Defense Systems

Percepio AB has signed a value-added reseller agreement with Lynx Software Technologies, an innovator in modern platform software technologies. The partnership enables Lynx to provide its Aerospace and Defense customers with the Percepio® Tracealyzer® software, enabling unprecedented full-stack observability that accelerates software development and verification of critical edge applications.

The agreement sets the stage for continued collaboration to integrate Tracealyzer with all of Lynx’s trusted platforms and end-to-end observability across multiple guest operating systems in LYNX MOSA.ic. Lynx will provide Tracealyzer as part of its LYNX MOSA.ic software framework under the brand name Lynx SpyKerTZ Powered by Tracealyzer from Percepio. The first customer delivery is already in progress.

“Comprehensive system observability is critical in accelerating the creation of highly complex mission-critical systems,” said Ian Ferguson, VP of Marketing and Strategic Alliances at Lynx Software Technologies. “Tracealyzer

strengthens the platform capabilities of our LYNX MOSA.ic product offering, providing our customers with insight to guarantee system functionality, performance, and real-time behavior.”

A key enabler in this collaboration is the recently introduced Tracealyzer SDK, which offers extensive integration and customization capabilities for full-stack edge observability.

This enables Lynx to integrate Tracealyzer observability at all levels in Lynx’s trusted software stack, like the LynxOS-178 real-time operating system, and deliver ready-to-run solutions that fully leverage the advanced capabilities in Tracealyzer.

“We are proud to collaborate with Lynx to bring our observability solutions to the most advanced, high-assurance platforms and systems in Aerospace and Defense,” added Percepio CTO and founder Dr. Johan Kraft. “Aerospace and Defense applications are becoming increasingly complex, and observability is an effective remedy for improving productivity in complex system development. Lynx has identified observability as a key capability in their visionary roadmap, and we look forward to helping accelerate this mission with our new partner.”

Percepio percepio.com

LDRA Accelerates Software Security with GitLab Integration The latest cloud-native integration reduces barriers to DevSecOps entry for aviation and defense organizations, adding to existing support for Microsoft Azure DevOps and Amazon Web Services.

LDRA announced integration with GitLab to help developers continuously detect and remediate security issues in the software development lifecycle as early as possible. Combining LDRA’s static analysis, code coverage, and unit testing capabilities with GitLab’s AI-powered DevSecOps platform helps small- and medium-sized organizations “shift left” to secure coding practices to improve application security and time to market.

GitLab integration allows embedded software teams to identify security issues found by the LDRA tool suite without leaving their familiar cloud-native automation pipeline. As part of a robust DevSecOps program, LDRA’s analysis and testing 26

COTS Journal | December 2023

capabilities continually assess operations and files on every code change, helping teams to centralize the reporting and management of security issues.

allows the execution of tasks in parallel, greatly accelerating vulnerability remediation and reducing time to market.

“The security landscape for aviation and defense applications changes daily, fuelled by unprecedented complexity and connectivity in today’s mission-critical systems,” said Ian Hennell, Operations Director, LDRA. “LDRA’s integration with GitLab offers a faster way to detect and remediate vulnerabilities across the entire code base by kicking off automated static analysis, code coverage, and unit testing without developers having to worry about it.”

“Rapid and incremental software integration only works when you have rapid and comprehensive testing built into the development pipeline,” Hennell added. “The LDRA/GitLab integration optimizes DevSecOps practices right from the first code push and helps plug security holes throughout the product lifecycle.”

Security is Built-in, Not Bolted On Integrating LDRA and GitLab brings development, security, and operations together to improve efficiencies and effectiveness from the start.

Using the LDRA tool suite with a containerized build model within a GitLab pipeline, development teams ensure the analysis and testing of code security is fast, consistent, and repeatable. This also

LDRA Tool Suite Supports Multiple On-premises, Cloud-native Deployment Options In addition to GitLab, the LDRA tool suite supports other on-premises and cloud-native deployment options such as Wind River Studio, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure DevOps. These integrations meet developers where they code to support environment hardening and simplifying the achievement of security at scale.

LDRA Assured ldra.com

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Core Systems ........................................................ 10/15/IBC ..................................... www.core-systems.com Great River Technology .........................................

18

.................................... www.greatrivertech.com

Holo Industries ......................................................

5

................................................ www.holoind.com

Interface Concept .................................................

14

................................ www.interfaceconcept.com

MPL ......................................................................

4

....................................................... www.mpl.ch

OTEK ......................................................................

13

............................................. www.otekcorp.com

PICO Electronics, Inc ............................................

21

................................... www.picoelectronics.com

Pixus Technologies ................................................

IBC

............................... www.pixustechnologies.com

COTS Journal (ISSN#1526-4653) is published monthly at; 3180 Sitio Sendero, Carlsbad, CA. 92009.

Periodicals Class postage paid at San Clemente and additional mailing offices.

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