Son of Windows to control carrier

[InfoSec News <isn () C4I ORG>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/0807/news-navy-08-07-00.asp

[Does anyone else think this is just plain wrong? I know how long it
takes for my 650Mhz Pentium III running NT 4.0 to boot up from a blue
screen, and I wouldn't want to be doing while two Exocet air-to-sea
missles are closing in on the starboard side... -WK]

BY Dan Verton
08/07/2000

The Navys next-generation aircraft carrier the symbol of American
military might around the world will rely on a futuristic version of
Microsoft Corp.s Windows operating system and other commercial
technologies for command and control.

Officials from Microsoft Federal Systems last week attended an initial
design review of the Navys future CVN-77 aircraft carrier. The company
has been selected to lead information infrastructure development for
the ship and to define the overall systems architecture for high-
performance information exchange. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics
and Surveillance Systems (NESS) is the lead company, along with
Newport News Shipbuilding.

The carrier will act as a steppingstone to what Rear Adm. Jack
Chenevy, program executive officer for strike weapons at the Naval Air
Systems Command, called "a revolution in carrier aviation." Although
the CVN-77 will represent a significant technological advance when it
is fielded in 2008, it actually is a transition platform for the
futuristic CVX-1 carrier, which is scheduled for construction in 2006.

"The CVN-77 is the next advance in carrier aviation," Chenevy said,
adding that it will use many of the same technologies that are being
developed for the DD-21 "smart ship" destroyer. As on the DD-21, new
technologies will reduce the number of crew members needed and will
also cut down on maintenance costs for the CVN-77, according to
Chenevy, who made his remarks during the International Naval Review
2000 in New York City.

"We were given targets of taking man-hours and training hours off the
ship," said Rich Lockwood, director of the Advanced Naval and C4I
Program for Lockheed Martin NESS Surface Systems. "This is a fairly
radical change. Today, a lot of information exists on a carrier, but
it cant get to where it needs to be easily."

Microsoft Federal Systems will help design the ships IT architecture
based on the companys Windows 2000 platform. The commercial
off-the-shelf software solution includes a three-year commitment by
Microsoft Consulting Services for technical support during the ships
software design, development and deployment. Actual construction of
the CVN-77 will begin in 2001.

Because of the long lead time involved in the construction of an
aircraft carrier, Microsoft will likely transition the ship to what
one company official called "the son of Windows." The software will
run the bulk of the command and control systems in the three "decision
centers" being designed into the CVN-77s architecture, said Brian
Roach, Lockheed Alliance manager for Microsoft Federal.

The CVN-77 win is a key triumph for Microsoft in the defense industry,
because it sets the stage for the companys participation in the Navys
long-term, three-phase future carrier design program. "This is not
just the one ship. It will decide the architectures for the next three
ships," Roach said. Microsofts agreement also includes a back-fit
program for seven other carriers, bringing the total to 10.

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