FVL development in focus

The US Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator project is leading two initiatives to speed up the development time for future vertical lift (FVL) aircraft software capabilities.

The two initiatives, Future Airborne Capabilities Environment (FACE) and Joint Common Architecture (JCA), are critical to establish methods for reducing the time to develop and field new software capabilities and their life cycle costs. Both initiatives are expected to demonstrate the means for developing more modular, interoperable and portable avionics software. If successful, future army aircraft could share software across different working environments, resulting in common modular applications and systems supportable by more than one vendor.

AMRDEC is working through JCA and FACE with industry and academic partners to achieve its common architecture goals. Together, these partners are working to mature the processes for the development of modular avionics functions, a new standard software organisational framework, and the definition of open interfaces to acquire and field new capabilities.

The FVL Family of Systems (FoS), which is expected to be fielded from the 2030s, is at the centre of these efforts. The FoS may use JCA reference architecture in its initial design.

AMRDEC conducted initial concept validation testing at its Software Engineering Directorate (SED) during May. In these tests, similar avionics software components from different vendors were integrated on two operating environments designed as per FACE standards. The results, according to the army, indicate that FVL FoS may achieve software portability. The army plans to test potential FVL processes, standards, tools and technologies through JMR TD demonstrations.

Scott Dennis, director of SED, AMRDEC, said: 'FACE is working to establish a software common operating environment that allows portability and the creation of software product lines for the entire military vertical lift community and does this in consensus fashion.'