Ampex Data Systems Announces Navy Contract and Major Milestone: Network Attached Storage and Software-defined Recording for Flight Test Instrumentation
Press ReleaseJune 15, 2020
(Hayward, CA) June, 2020 – Ampex Data Systems (Ampex), a Delta Information Systems Company, is proud to announce the award of a firm fixed price contract in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD) located in Ridgecrest, California (China Lake).
Ampex’s contract provides NAWCWD full rate production of Ampex’s low-cost TuffCORD ruggedized network attached storage (NAS) device, part of the Ampex TuffServ product line. The TuffCORD will be used to store test data generated onboard aircraft during flight test operations.
Ampex built the U.S. Navy’s first, dedicated, flight test instrumentation data storage device in 1950. Today, Ampex is known for manufacturing the fastest ruggedized network file servers in the industry and supports various U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy programs. Most notably, Ampex provides the network file servers and boot computers that are the digital backbone of the U.S. Navy’s E-2 C/D Hawkeye fleet.
The new contract with the Navy represents yet another major milestone for Ampex and the defense industry. This is Ampex’s first production run of a network-based recording device for Department of Defense (DoD) flight test instrumentation. Today, most onboard flight test recording devices are still direct attached storage systems only capable of recording and playback. Ampex has pioneered the use of NAS systems (servers) for flight test recording with its unparalleled Ampex Common Compute Environment (ACCE) software. ACCE helps customers take advantage of the network file server capabilities inherent in Ampex NAS devices. With ACCE, customers can use an Ampex NAS to execute software-defined recording (software replicates what hardware used to), index stored data for easier access and post-mission analysis, and integrate third-party software on the device. Ampex will complete work at its Silicon Valley headquarters in Hayward, CA.
“We’re proud to offer the industry Ampex’s winning combination of NAS systems and ACCE software,” stated Jim Orahood, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Ampex Data Systems. “The combination will save customers time and money in flight test recording applications and mission system operations.”
About Ampex Data Systems
Since 1944, Ampex has been an industry leader in cutting edge technologies to solve the toughest data management and data storage challenges. With its lineage as one of the first Silicon Valley companies, Ampex continues to innovate its ruggedized avionics and ground-based data systems with applied research in onboard cyber security, advanced encryption, and machine learning for onboard data analytics. Ampex is headquartered in Hayward, California and has offices in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information visit www.ampex.com or follow @AmpexData on Twitter.
