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BAE SYSTEMS Real-Time Operating System Flies On Demonstration Pegasus Unmanned Aircraft

23 Apr 2003

Johnson City, New York -- BAE Systems' new open-architecture real-time operating system played a significant role in the successful flight of Northrop Grumman's Pegasus X-47A experimental unmanned aircraft. The CsLEOS™ RTOS underpins the aircraft's Avionics and Vehicle Management Computer, developed and built by BAE Systems Platform Solutions. The computer performs flight control processing, autopilot control, engine control processing, mission command and control, navigation, and other functions.

"Unmanned vehicles have vast potential to help our armed forces complete dangerous missions without putting the troops at risk, and BAE Systems is proud to play a role in advancing this technology," said James Scanlon, president of BAE Systems Platform Solutions. "Our real-time operating system is ideally suited to mission- and safety-critical applications, as evidenced by the flawless maiden flight of the Pegasus."

The embedded, open-architecture CsLEOS™ RTOS uses "brick-wall" time and memory partitioning, as defined by the ARINC 653 specifications, to allow multiple applications to run on the same system without interfering with each other. BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman engineers employed these features to the development of Pegasus by running test software separate from the operating system - an arrangement that enabled them to test applications without having to instrument them with test points and special test code. This permitted the engineers to "fly what they test" by removing the test partition without affecting the flight-critical code.

The CsLEOS™ operating system is the only commercial, off-the-shelf RTOS offered by a safety-critical systems company. The system ensures that safety-critical functions are protected from other processes running on the same hardware, making it possible to add, revise, and test system functions without recertifying the entire application. It also provides:

Multiple scheduling modes. This flexible feature allows users to switch between different schedule profiles in real time, making it possible to change the schedule of existing applications and/or add new applications on the fly.

Separate loadable images. Each application is built and downloaded as a separate program, minimising the need for regression testing.

A DO-178B, Level A certifiable version of the CsLEOS™ RTOS is available now. (D0-178B, developed by RTCA Inc., a nonprofit company in Washington, D.C., is the international standard for certifying software used in safety-critical airborne systems.)

Pegasus flew for the first time Feb. 23 at the Naval Air Warfare Center in China Lake, California. Northrop Grumman developed the experimental aircraft to demonstrate low-cost, rapid prototyping; robust unmanned vehicle management; and tailless aerodynamic qualities suitable for autonomous launch and recovery flight operations from an aircraft carrier.

About BAE SYSTEMS:

BAE Systems is a systems company, innovating for a safer world. BAE Systems employs nearly 100,000 people including joint ventures, and has annual sales of around 12 billion. The company offers a global capability in air, sea, land, and space with a world-class prime contracting ability supported by a range of key skills. BAE Systems designs, manufactures, and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, guided weapon systems, and a range of other defence products. BAE Systems is dedicated to making the intelligent connections needed to deliver innovative solutions.

BAE Systems North America is a high-technology U.S. company employing more than 22,000 Americans who live and work in 30 states and Washington, D.C. The company is dedicated to solving its customers' needs with highly innovative and leading-edge solutions across the defence electronics, systems, information technology, and services arenas.

BAE Systems Platform Solutions, part of BAE Systems North America, is a leading global supplier of integrated electronic control products, subsystems, and man-machine interface systems for air, space, sea, and ground vehicles. The business develops and produces electronic vehicle management systems, electronic engine controls, cockpit and helmet displays, and inertial systems for a variety of platforms including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, missiles, ground vehicles, ships, and space launch vehicles. It also produces HybriDrive™ propulsion systems for intra-city transit buses and other medium and large vehicles. Headquartered in Johnson City, it employs approximately 6,400 people at 12 facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom.