VICTORY Shared Processing, Fire Control Computer, and Switch for Ground Vehicles Introduced by Curtiss-Wright

Cost-effective, fully integrated 3U OpenVPX™ COTS processor and Gigabit Ethernet switch is designed for fire control, turret control, weapons control and vehicle control 

AUSA 2014, Washington, D.C. (Booth #7809) – October 13-15, 2014 – Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that its Defense Solutions division has introduced a new fully integrated commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Ground Control System (GCS) processing and network switch subsystem. Designed for use with the U.S. Army’s VICTORY (Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability) network architecture, the GCS combines rugged processing and Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) networking to modernize legacy and future ground vehicles. The compact, lightweight subsystem is based on a SWaP-C optimized 3U OpenVPX™ small form factor and is part of Curtiss-Wright’s family of Multi-Platform Mission Computers.  It features 3U OpenVPX Fire Control Processor, Ethernet Switch, and Power Supply modules packaged in a single, easily upgradeable rugged enclosure. This complete hardware and software solution is designed to deliver high performance processing and network switching for use in critical applications such as fire control, turret control, weapons control and vehicle control. The GCS’s low cost and small size make it especially attractive for deployment on tactical wheeled vehicles and combat vehicles. 

“Our new rugged COTS-based Ground Control System (GCS) underlines Curtiss-Wright’s position as a leading supplier of processing and networking solutions that bring the U.S. Army’s VICTORY standard to tactical Ground Vehicles,” said Lynn Bamford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Defense Solutions division. “Based on our proven fire control and vetronics designs, the GCS provides system integrators with a SWaP-C optimized, low-risk solution for bringing updated processing and Ethernet switching to ground vehicles.”

Fulfilling the Promise of VICTORY
VICTORY is the DoD’s mandated approach for eliminating “stovepiped” system functionality and increasing interoperability. The GCS has been compliance tested as a VICTORY shared processing unit (a Compliance Test Report [CTR] is available upon request). The GCS is the newest member of Curtiss-Wright’s extensive family of products designed for use in VICTORY-based ground vehicles. Its flexible design enables future upgrade capabilities such as support for local- and network-attached data storage. 

Other Curtiss-Wright solutions for VICTORY include Digital Beachhead™ the industry’s first low-cost rugged Ground Vehicle “appliance” for modernizing ground vehicles. Curtiss-Wright also offers a wide range of OpenVPX network switches, routers and SWaP-C optimized LRUs designed for use in VICTORY architectures. 

Bringing VICTORY to COTS System Designers
Today’s combat vehicles are typically deployed with multiple independent systems that have limited ability to share their functionalities or data. To address and mitigate this problem, the U.S. Army’s VICTORY initiative encourages the use of SWaP-C optimized COTS open-architecture subsystems and Ethernet-based in-vehicle network (IVN) services in order to increase interoperability and enable the elimination of redundant functionality and hardware. Curtiss-Wright is helping to advance the use of VICTORY through the development of innovative rugged COTS subsystems and modules designed to support the new standard and help achieve the U.S. Army’s goals.

Curtiss-Wright established itself as a leading supplier of COTS VICTORY solutions with the introduction in September 2012 of its Digital Beachhead™ 16-port Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) Network Switch and high performance, power efficient Vehicle Management Computer. Digital Beachhead is the industry’s first low-cost rugged Ground Vehicle “appliance” for modernizing ground vehicles to comply with the VICTORY standard

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.