Transforming Safety-Critical UAS Software for Mission Success

General Atomics sought a cutting-edge solution for their Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) UAS, aiming to integrate advanced hardware while ensuring safety-critical reliability. By leveraging Lynx MOSA.ic, they achieved secure partitioning, real-time performance, and certification-ready software, enabling their platform to deliver on high-stakes missions.

High-Stakes Challenges in Aerospace

The mission was clear: deliver a next-generation unmanned aircraft capable of handling diverse operational needs, from surveillance to weapons deployment. However, achieving these goals meant overcoming technical hurdles like hardware dependencies, strict partitioning requirements, and real-time responsiveness. These challenges carried the weight of mission success, operational safety, and the reputations of everyone involved.

About General Atomics

General Atomics (GA) is a leading defense and diversified technologies company operating on five continents. GA’s Aeronautical Systems division produces advanced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), including the Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER), known for its long-endurance surveillance and mission-critical capabilities. GA has a track record of delivering innovative solutions for aerospace and defense, supported by cutting-edge technologies in radar, signals intelligence, and electromagnetic systems.

Challenge

Developing the Gray Eagle Extended Range UAS presented several critical challenges:

Mixed-Criticality Software Environment: The integration of Xilinx’s UltraScale+ MPSoC hardware required a software framework capable of securely managing safety, multimedia, and networking domains without compromising performance.
Secure Partitioning: To meet operational and regulatory requirements, the solution needed prescriptive, immutable hardware resource allocation to isolate sensitive processes and ensure deterministic behavior across time-critical tasks.
Certification-Ready Design: The customer aimed to align their platform with safety-critical standards like DO-178C, preparing for potential future certification needs while maintaining flexibility for software updates.

Without a robust solution, the program risked delays, cost overruns, and compromised operational performance, directly impacting the warfighter's effectiveness.

Solution

Lynx MOSA.ic: The Engine Behind Innovation

General Atomics selected Lynx MOSA.ic as the backbone of their software modernization effort. Why? Because it uniquely balances modularity, security, and real-time performance to meet the needs of safety-critical applications.

Secure Partitioning: MOSA.ic’s immutable resource allocation ensures precise separation of networking, multimedia, and safety functions.
What it means: Reliable, fault-isolated operations that reduce risk during critical missions.
Deterministic Real-Time Performance: Low-latency inter-process communication enables the fast, predictable response required in high-stakes environments.
What it means: Assurance that time-critical processes like video encoding or sensor data processing won’t fail when it matters most.
Certification-Ready Design: With a proven safety-certification pedigree, Lynx MOSA.ic simplifies the path to compliance with standards like DO-178C.
What it means: Less time and cost spent navigating certification hurdles, with confidence in delivering operational readiness.

This innovative software framework empowered General Atomics to integrate the Xilinx UltraScale+ MPSoC for advanced video encoding without compromising the performance of other time-sensitive systems.

Results

Tangible Results That Redefine Possibilities

By choosing Lynx MOSA.ic, General Atomics unlocked a range of measurable benefits:

Enhanced Mission Capabilities: The GE-ER now delivers superior UAS surveillance and weapon deployment capabilities with greater payload and endurance.
Streamlined Certification Path: Modular software design reduced certification complexity, accelerating project timelines.
Increased Reliability: Secure partitioning and deterministic operations improved the system’s overall reliability and maintainability.

These outcomes demonstrate Lynx’s ability to deliver not just technical solutions but also the operational excellence required for mission success.