Air NEC

Based in the South East of England and with over 30 years of proven experience, General Dynamics UK’s Mission Systems business is delivering significant and demanding solutions to Airborne and ISTAR NEC programmes in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

It is recognised as one of Europe’s leading authorities on Open System and Safety Critical design and has championed the use of open industry standards through its involvement in the UK’s Industrial Avionics Working Group and through the support that it provides to the wide range of Avionics / ISTAR STANAG working groups. More recently Mission Systems has further developed its system engineering skills in the area of “ground to air” and “air to air” communications and has broadened its ISTAR expertise and skills to enable it to lead the delivery of complex integrated battlespace information systems and subsystems.

Our ability to develop innovative and timely solutions for our customer’s current and future problems is something that we at Mission Systems pride ourselves in. We are able to draw on our:

  • Engineers with outstanding domain knowledge,
  • Internal research and development activities,
  • Work as the fusion theme leader of the DIF DTC,
  • Access to the extensive capabilities of GD around the world.

Integration

General Dynamics UK is a world leader in the integration of Mission Systems. The company operates in an Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment to ensure that systems fully meet the requirements, while maintaining the flexibility required to ensure that cost, risk and in service support aspects are not compromised.

Capabilities range from definition and requirements capture through equipment design, rig and ground integration trials to, if appropriate, ground and flight trials. The companies recognised safety certification allows full customer support with analysis and data to provide full weapon certification for platforms.

  • Mission and Weapon Systems Integration
  • Requirements Capture
  • Detailed Design
  • Ground and Flight Trials
  • Integrated Processes
  • Comprehensive Accreditation
This capability is underpinned by a comprehensive range of accreditations, including SEI CMM Level 3 - one of only a few companies outside the USA to have been accredited to level 3 of the software capability maturity model.

Company processes provide a well-established framework covering all programme aspects from programme capture to in service support. The engineering and manufacturing integrated product development process gives clear task definition and ownership, encourages integrated teamwork with customers and suppliers and provides schedule stability and predictability.

These considerable capabilities, processes and expertise are brought together to ensure successful completion of any integration, hardware or software development programme. Back to top

Tactical Information Exchange Capability (TIEC)

General Dynamics UK was selected in 2004 to work in partnership with BAE Systems to provide Harrier GR9 and Tornado GR4 with battlespace situational awareness. The TIEC integrated sub-system is being developed by a team led by Mission Systems, comprising Rockwell Collins and Innovative Concepts. It will use data exchanged via the onboard Link 16 terminal and/or the Improved Data Modem to generate and display tactical information on the platform’s head-down displays. The sub-system integrates a number of key technologies including digital mapping, real time embedded databases, track management, advanced software architecture (ASAAC) which keeps the software application independent of the processor hardware and data recording, as well as the specific datalink parsers. The programme is in the final stages of the Assessment Phase, with technology readiness level (TRL) 6 demonstrations and Main Gate business case submission scheduled for later this year. Back to top

Apache Bowman Connectivity

Apache
A data communications system that provides bi-directional ground-to-air connectivity between Bowman-enabled ground based assets and the WAH Apache helicopter.

The solution centres on a mobile gateway, based on proven Improved Data Modem (IDM) technology, which is used in conjunction with modified Apache Mission Planning software package. Back to top

Spanish EF-18

A tactical pilot awareness computer that provides an advanced computing architecture for the execution of platform applications along with embedded digital mapping and IDM capabilities which provide interoperability with other assets such as the Typhoon. Back to top

Spanish FAC

A ground based computing solution that allows forward aircraft controllers data connectivity with IDM enabled air assets. Back to top