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Honeywell Awarded B-2 Upgrade; selects Targa Series 3 CDR

FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND, 1998 Honeywell Defense Avionics Systems was recently selected by Northrop Grumman Military Aircraft Systems Division headquartered in El Segundo, California, to provide a retrofit replacement of the B-2 disk drive unit with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) cartridge data reader and flash memory.

Northrop Grumman funded a demonstration of alternate technology in 1997 before choosing the Honeywell-proposed solution. The change is expected to lower both procurement and maintenance costs for the 21 aircraft B-2 fleet and will be the first use of commercial technology on the B-2.

"The use of this technology will provide significant benefit beyond lower costs," said Robert G. Marrah, Honeywell vice president and division general manager. "As the commercial capacity of the cartridge grows, the military will be able to buy that capacity without incurring additional development costs." The contract is expected to provide a model for future use of COTS technology for military applications.

With the new design, a ground writer TARGA can be used to interface with the mission planning station. The change will allow disk drive units currently used in mission planning stations and avionics labs to write information to the disk drive unit to be freed for such use as aircraft spares, further reducing operational costs.

The contract provides development funding and a production option to be exercised in mid-1999. Honeywell will conduct limited environmental qualification and radiation hardness testing of the commercial parts. Development work on the replacement unit will be conducted simultaneously with delivery completion of Honeywell's disk drive unit. In mid-1999, retrofit will begin with the COTS units with contract completion expected in 2001.

The cartridge data reader is from Targa Systems of Ottawa, Canada. The flash memory is produced by SanDisk of Sunnyvale, CA.

Honeywell Defense Avionics Systems designs, manufactures, markets and supports avionics control systems for the US Department of Defense and its prime contractors. It provides similar services for allied nations under licensed export agreements.

 
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