Raytheon’s [RTN] open architecture Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE), the integrated mission system for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer, recently passed a key Technology Readiness Assessment.
The TRA, conducted by the Navy, confirmed that TSCE is now at Technology Readiness Level 6 as a result of the system’s ability to operate in a relevant end-to-end environment. The review revealed a high pass rate for system requirements as well as low software defect counts.
“In developing more than six million lines of code, TSCE is one of the most complex software projects ever undertaken,” said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems’ (IDS) Bill Marcley, vice president of Total Ship Mission Systems. “With each successful software milestone, we are mitigating risk and enhancing the reliability of this highly capable open architecture system.”
Members of the Navy’s TRA panel commended the robustness of Raytheon’s simulation environment and the company’s thorough approach to integration and testing, the company said.
From design to production, Raytheon has partnered with the Navy to develop a thorough testing process to mitigate any potential risks involved with integrating the mission system software with the ship’s hardware.
Raytheon’s TSCE encompasses all shipboard computing applications, including the combat management system; command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence elements; ship machinery control systems; damage control; embedded training; and support systems, the company said. The system leverages a modern open system architecture that provides a scalable platform for cost-efficient delivery of new mission capability.
TSCE delivers an unprecedented level of modularity and automation, helping to advance the Navy’s open architecture goals, a company statement said. The sailor-centric, human- computer interface, combined with the high level of automation achieved with TSCE, is a primary driver for the significant reduction in manning for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer when compared with today’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.