Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) must often undertake long-duration missions. Securely storing the vast amounts of data collected by the UAV can present challenges for system designers tasked with implementing onboard network attached storage (NAS).
Selecting the best NAS solution is also complicated by the need to optimize size, weight, and power (SWaP) on the platform to support extended missions and add additional system functionality. Additional system integration challenges result when the UAV data network is segregated. Mission, sensor, and maintenance subsystem functions and the data-at-rest (DAR) must be protected to established standards.
A large integrator faced the challenge of protecting Top Secret DAR on a UAV and approached Curtiss-Wright for a solution. Due to the sensitive nature of the mission data on the unmanned vehicle, the program required an encryption solution approved by the National Security Agency (NSA) to protect the Top Secret DAR collected and stored during missions. The UAV required multiple NAS devices to provide mission and map data to network clients and store the collected data, and other sensor information. SWaP was an important consideration for the NAS solution because the aircraft would be required to travel long distances while carrying a large amount of equipment.
The use of smaller and lighter NAS devices would help support extended mission durations. What’s more, the multiple NAS devices would need to support networks at varied classification levels, which puts additional pressure on cost, SWaP, and the encryption certification process.
Due to tight deadlines for vehicle deployment, the integrator opted for a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) NAS solution instead of developing a new solution.
