LynuxWorks LynxOS-178 Chosen to Power F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's (JSF) Next-Generation Panoramic Cockpit Display System

LynuxWorks(TM) Inc. today announced that L-3 Communications Display Systems has chosen its LynxOS®-178 Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) to power a portion of the Panoramic Cockpit Display (PCD) subsystem for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft. This display system delivers information for all the major functions of the F-35, including flight and sensor displays, communication, radio and navigation systems as well as an identification system which gives the pilot total situational awareness.

The key factors in L-3 Display System's choice of LynuxWorks' RTOS, which is DO-178B certifiable, were its adherence to open standards, its Linux compatibility, the interoperability benefits of a POSIX® API and support for the ARINC-653 specification. In addition, LynuxWorks will deliver an embedded software product with a complete set of artifacts, along with world-class engineering services. Lastly, the LynxOS-178 RTOS was recently awarded the first Reusable Software Component letter from the Federal Aviation Administration. This certification helps further reduce time-to-market and risk for customers utilizing LynuxWorks' RTOS.

The F-35 is a next-generation, supersonic stealth aircraft designed to replace a wide array of existing fighters.

"We chose LynuxWorks' operating system because the company offered a very complete RTOS and artifact package, along with support services and business models that were unmatched by other vendors," said Bob McGill, president of L-3 Displays Group. "In the military and defense market, we are required to work with stable vendors that have a solid and complete track record. And, with LynuxWorks, we were able to capitalize on their product's strengths and deliver a solution that will exceed our customers' expectations with respect to performance and safety."

In an industry where safety, time and cost are essential factors, L-3 Display Systems is leveraging a series of product features and services from LynuxWorks' LynxOS-178, which includes an RTOS that is designed specifically to fulfill the stringent needs of multithread and multiprocess applications in safety-critical systems. Based on open standards, the LynxOS-178 RTOS provides security through virtual machine brick-wall partitions that make it impossible for system events in one partition of the RTOS to interfere with events in another. It's as if each partition were its own separate computer providing the highest levels of robustness.

"We are thrilled to be working with L-3 Display Systems on this very important program and acknowledge this as a huge validation of our LynxOS-178 product family," said Joe Wlad, Director of Product Management and DER with LynuxWorks. "Our technical leadership and progressive business models are very attractive to military avionics suppliers who are transitioning from proprietary operating systems to open standard-based solutions."

About POSIX & ARINC-653 Standards

POSIX (Portable Operating System for UNIX) is a set of programming interface standards for application development, and is controlled by the Open Group. The ARINC-653 specification and corresponding APEX interface are designed for system partitioning and scheduling, which are often required in safety- and mission-critical systems, particularly in the avionics industry. POSIX and ARINC are accepted open industry standards that protect software applications from incurring rewrites or complete recertification when migrating from one generation of hardware to the next. These software interfaces also simplify the integration of other POSIX- or ARINC-based applications, saving development time and eliminating software flaws that would otherwise be introduced when software module interfaces are rewritten to proprietary operating systems.

About L-3 Display Systems

L-3 Display Systems, located in Alpharetta, Georgia, specializes in the design, development and manufacture of ruggedized display systems for the world's most demanding applications. L-3 Display Systems' product line includes a wide variety of displays and processors available to meet a multitude of system architectures for airborne, shipboard and ground-based applications. To learn more about L-3 Display Systems, please visit the company's web site at: www.L-3Com.com/displays .

About L-3

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a leading provider of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization, training and government services. The company is a leading merchant supplier of a broad array of high technology products, including guidance and navigation, sensors, scanners, fuzes, data links, propulsion systems, simulators, avionics, electro optics, satellite communications, electrical power equipment, encryption, signal intelligence, antennas and microwave components. L-3 also supports a variety of Homeland Security initiatives with products and services. Its customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, selected U.S. Government intelligence agencies and aerospace prime contractors. To learn more about L-3 Communications, please visit the company's web site at www.L-3Com.com .