AATD Orders Parvus Rugged Ethernet Switch Subsystems for Army AH-64 Apache Helicopter Modernization Program
28 March 2008
Parvus Corporation today announced that the Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) has specified the DuraNET™ 1059 Ethernet switch node into a US Army aviation modernization program for the AH-64 Apache helicopter. Orders for 34 units have been received by Parvus to-date.
Part of the US Army Research, Development & Engineering Command (RDECOM), AATD is a Directorate of the Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) located at Fort Eustis, Virginia. AATD's mission is to be recognized as the leader within the Department of Defense (DoD) for the research, development, and engineering of rotorcraft and tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems and technology.
Parvus' Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) DuraNET 1059 will be installed on several AH-64 Apache helicopters in early 2008 under a US Army Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) initiative aimed at improving situational awareness. This rugged unmanaged Ethernet switch node will provide Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity to onboard IP-enabled computing devices.
Weighing in at less than 2lbs and equipped with MIL-38999 connectors, a conductively cooled chassis, and MIL-STD-704E compliant power supply, the rugged Fast Ethernet switch module serves as an ideal solution for airborne or ground vehicle networking applications. The unit was designed for tolerance to extreme operational temperatures (-40°C to +85°C) and MIL-STD-810F shock and vibration profiles experienced by helicopter and fighter aircraft.
