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January 11, 3:24 EST
BRISTOL, Pa. -- Officials at Team Apache Systems (TAS) -- an organization made up of Lockheed Martin in Bethesda, Md., and Boeing in Seattle -- chose Pulse Specialty Components to work with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control to upgrade the combat video imaging system on the U.S. Army's AH-64 Apache attack helicopter using Fibre Channel technology.
Pulse Specialty Components engineers will assist in the development of a high-speed digital video transmission system using the Fibre Channel standard which is part of the modernized Apache Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) called Arrowhead, Pulse officials say. Arrowhead is Lockheed Martin's solution to the Army's requirement for an Apache M-TADS/PNVS upgrade program.
The purpose of TAS is to provide a single focus of operations and support for the M-TADS/PNVS. Arrowhead's forward-looking infrared system will help extend the U.S. Army's Apache program, Pulse officials say. Arrowhead's modernized targeting and navigation systems allow Apache pilots to fly during the day or night in adverse weather with greater safety and reliability.
Arrowhead uses digital video to enhance recording capability and facilitate still-frame video imagery transmission to the ground commander or another aircraft during normal operations, Pulse officials say. Pulse Specialty Components will supply the Fibre Channel transceiver line interface module (LIM), designed to facilitate the transfer of huge blocks of data at fiber-optic speeds ranging from 531 megabits to 1.0625 gigabits per second between the Apache's electronic equipment and mission computers, company officials say.
Fibre Channel LIMs provide the transmit/receive signal conditioning necessary for bi-directional point-to-point data transmission over common types of media, including printed circuit boards, backplanes, copper cable or fiber optic media, Pulse officials say. A high-performance, low-cost alternative to complete fiber systems, the Pulse device provides enhanced distance and signal clarity with complete inter-operability per the ANSI X3T11 Fibre Channel standard and 10-bit interface specification, company officials say.
The AH-64 Apache is the Army's primary attack helicopter. The twin-engine, four-blade, multi-mission aircraft is a quick-reacting fully integrated airborne weapons delivery platform that can fight close and low, or at standoff distances to destroy, disrupt, or delay enemy forces, Pulse officials say. The principal mission of the Apache is the destruction of high-value targets with the Hellfire missile. It also has a 30mm M230 Chain Gun cannon that is lethal against a wide variety of targets, company officials say.
The U.S. Army is upgrading its fleet of AH-64 A-model Apaches into next-generation Apache Longbow helicopters, which link a wide range of avionics, electronics, and weapons into one fully integrated weapons system, Pulse officials say.
For more information on Pulse Specialty Components contact the company on the World Wide Web at http://www.pulsespecialty.com.
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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