Unmanned Systems Technology 009 | Ocean Aero Submaran S10 | Simulation and testing | Farnborough report | 3W-110xi b2 TS HFE FI | USVs | Data storage | Eurosatory/UGS 2016 report

73 Data storage | Focus Application-optimised software environments, while attractive from an efficiency standpoint, are increasingly out of favour because they create a dependency on the original vendor’s bespoke solution for ongoing cybersecurity support. By contrast, industry-standard open environments benefit from the entire ecosystem of security professionals, including the DISA STIGs and the NSA guides. Another interesting observation is that, increasingly, the lines between manned and unmanned systems are becoming blurred as far as technology is concerned, as operational concepts such as manned/ unmanned teaming and optionally manned platforms emerge. Mirroring this at the avionics systems level, pressure from the industry is mounting for platform systems to consolidate onboard avionics data storage, mission planning, HUMS and sensor generated data from video, and radar target information onto a single, multi- purpose computing system with physically removable pieces of secure media. For larger platforms, flight-qualified data storage units combine high-density non-volatile NAND flash technology, a processor and programmable radiation- hardened FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays). FPGAs are semiconductor devices that are based around a matrix of configurable logic blocks connected via programmable interconnects, and can be reprogrammed for the desired application or functionality requirements after manufacturing. This feature distinguishes them from application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are custom manufactured for specific design tasks. Although one- time programmable FPGAs are available, the dominant types are SRAM-based, which can be reprogrammed as the design evolves. Altitude and endurance There are added capability requirements from storage solutions for high altitude long endurance (HALE), factors that previously were relevant only to applications in space or near-space environments. For example, single event upset (SEU) high-radiation events, while relatively rare, are increasingly a planning risk for HALE platforms.  If the mission lasts long enough, the probability of an SEU occurring becomes very significant. Given the endurance factor, HALE systems also require large amounts of memory: one supplier says it is typically seeing requests for up to several petabytes, but the flipside is that HALE missions don’t need the very high data rates seen on low-altitude systems, where the systems are using 4K video cameras that produce huge amounts of raw data. These operating environment concerns are another area where flash storage has an advantage. With traditional hard drive solutions, weather and solar activity at high altitude was a big problem, but with the more robust technology of solid-state media it is less so. Another supplier says it has a couple of storage systems on the International Space Station that have had zero problems, commenting, “We didn’t harden them; we simply used commercial off-the-shelf memory, so there is not a concern at that physical security level.” Security There are two potential security threats for unmanned platforms – direct access to the device itself or hacking into a download stream. The common standards for security are AES 256, a specification for the encryption of electronic data established by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, and FIPS 197 and 194, developed by the US federal government for use in computer systems by non-military government agencies. Government contractors will provide two levels of authentication on the device if the user wants it. Whether to buy a customised product or a commercial off-the-shelf solution is something that a security-conscious industry is still undecided on. One senior engineer at a data storage unit manufacturer says, “One thing we run in to a lot from dealing with clients as diverse as Amazon and Lockheed Martin is that there are two trains of thought. “On one side are companies that want to buy something that works Unmanned Systems Technology | August/September 2016 This network storage array has 12.8 Tbytes of removable solid-state memory, and standard dual 10 Gbit/s Ethernet ports (Courtesy of Ampex)