For rugged system management technology used in HALE IMMC Upgrade Program
AUVSI (Booth #653), ORLANDO, Fla. – Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that its Defense Solutions division has received a contract from Northrop Grumman to provide the integrated mission management computer (IMMC) for use in its High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) Enterprise IMMC upgrade program. The HALE Enterprise upgrade defines a new baseline architecture for Northrop Grumman’s HALE unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platforms to reduce maintenance and inventory costs, simplify ongoing obsolescence management and increase operational availability for derivatives of the Global Hawk platform, including the USN Triton, NATO AGS, USAF Block 40, and USAF Block 20/30. The dual redundant architecture IMMC provides fault tolerant flight control for the Global Hawk aircraft and interfaces with all necessary sensors to provide safe aircraft flight to meet mission requirements. Under the agreement, efforts began in October 2013 and are scheduled to continue until December 2014.
“For over fifteen years, Curtiss-Wright has had the privilege of partnering with Northrop Grumman to provide advanced computer subsystems that serve on its history-making UAS,” said Lynn Bamford, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Defense Solutions division. “We are proud to continue this legacy as a valued partner supporting the IMMC upgrade program for Northrop Grumman’s high altitude, long endurance UAS platforms.”
Curtiss-Wright provides two critical onboard flight subsystems used on the Triton UAS. Curtiss-Wright supplies the Integrated Mission Management Computer (IMMC) that controls the aircraft’s flight, and the Advanced Mission Management System (AMMS) that communicates with the onboard sensors, and relays information to the ground station. As an industry leader in UAS computing technology, Curtiss-Wright has also supplied Northrop Grumman with the two integrated main mission management computers that act as the “brain” of the Global Hawk UAS, which has been in service since 2001. Curtiss-Wright also provides the Sensor Management Unit (SMU) for the Global Hawk platform that communicates with the onboard sensors and was the predecessor to the Triton AMMS system. Curtiss-Wright has supported Global Hawk from its inception through each variant for well over a decade. Curtiss-Wright also provides rotary position sensors and electromechanical rotary actuators on other UAV platforms.
The Defense Solutions division will manufacture the products covered by this agreement at its Santa Clarita, Calif., facility. The products will be shipped to Northrop Grumman in Rancho Bernardo, Calif.
For more information about Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division, please visit www.curtisswrightds.com.
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 10,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.