Hardware Considered The Hornet's "Nerve Center"

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has been awarded a $30.6 million contract for the production of 118 Type-3 advanced mission computers (AMC) for the F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft.  The advanced mission computer is the nerve center of the Super Hornet, providing situational awareness and combat systems control to the flight crew.

A ruggedized, high-performance/high-reliability mission and display-processing system, the AMC relies on a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS), open systems architecture. It performs general purpose, input/output, video, voice and graphics processing and is designed to operate reliably in the extreme environmental conditions of today's high-performance fighter aircraft. The AMC is able to process the high-speed data flows from the latest in sensor technology.

"General Dynamics is committed to continuing its legacy of providing advanced warfighting capability to the F/A-18 program," said Lou Von Thaer, president of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. "Our open architecture approach allows for technology refreshes and new generations to avoid obsolescence and provide improved performance for the Navy."

General Dynamics has been delivering AMCs for the F/A-18 since 2002. Since then, the nature of the work on this program has expanded from production for newly produced aircraft to include supplying Navy efforts to retrofit operational aircraft. This contract will primarily be performed at the General Dynamics facility in Bloomington, MN, and will be completed by the end of 2011.

FMI: www.navy.mil, www.gd-ais.com