- The U.S. Navy’s X-47B unmanned aircraft, built by Northrop Grumman, is powered by Dell technology including servers, storage and workstations
- The X-47B used Dell’s commercial-off-the-shelf technology to create new ground control system
ROUND ROCK, Texas — (BUSINESS WIRE) — June 4, 2014 — The U.S. Navy, along with Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company that provides innovative products and solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide, used Dell data center solutions to help power the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System recently recognized with the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for outstanding achievement in aeronautics. In addition, the team also won a Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award in 2013 for being one of the 10 Innovators Who Changed the World in 2013.
The X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft developed as part of the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) Carrier Demonstration program. Under a contract awarded in 2007, Northrop Grumman designed, produced and is currently flight testing two X-47B aircraft. In 2013, these aircraft were used to successfully demonstrate the first ever carrier-based launches and recoveries by an autonomous, low-observable, relevant unmanned aircraft.
To support autonomous flight, Northrop Grumman utilized Dell’s commercial-off-the-shelf technology to develop X-47B’s high-performance ground control system. As a result of partnering with Dell, Northrop Grumman was effectively able to:
- Lower cost and improve on timelines by using a commercial off the shelf (COTS) solution for what was previously a custom solution in Ground Based Systems.
- Maintain and sustain their technology over the life of the program.
- Leverage COTS solutions across other UAS platforms.
“Developing the X-47B system required us to innovate not just technologically, but also on cost,” said Pablo Gonzalez, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B program manager. “Dell presented us with a suite of COTS solutions that gave us both performance and the flexibility needed for our IT infrastructure, while keeping costs low.”
For more information on the X-47B platform visit: http://www.northropgrumman.com/x47b
For photos of the X-47B, visit: http://www.northropgrumman.com/MediaResources/Pages/MediaGallery.aspx?ProductId=UC-10028
For more information on Dell’s enterprise solutions, please visit: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/large-enterprise-solutions
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