Zmicro Provides Rugged Computing Solutions for L3Harris’ AT-802U Sky Warden Planes

San Diego, CA company Zmicro will provide rugged computing solutions for the AT-802U Sky Warden planes that L3Harris Technologies, Inc. provides U.S. Special Operations Command’s Armed Overwatch program.

ZM3 server

Each plane will include 2 ZM3 ultra-lightweight servers for situational awareness and mission management applications. Located in the body of the aircraft, the ZM3s are connected via optical fiber to a storage docking unit in the cockpit, which includes 4 company’s TranzPak 1 ultra-compact NVMe drives. The cockpit storage dock gives crew members immediate access to drives for on- and off-boarding and enables remote control to power the ZM3s on and off.

TranzPak 1 compact NVMe drive

The company will provide rugged computing solutions for the AT-802U Sky Warden planes that L3Harris provides U.S. Special Operations Command’s Armed Overwatch program.

Sky Warden is designed to perform in austere, disaggregated combat environments with limited infrastructure. It merges the features and functions of larger ISR and armed aircraft into a single cost-effective, resilient platform that provides the operator the agility and flexibility to identify, track and immediately react to counter threats.

“L3Harris continues to be a fantastic partner to work with in terms of thinking outside the box to deliver leading-edge solutions,” said Jason Wade, president, ZMicro. “With Sky Warden, we can meet a critical need for U.S. Special Operations Command for a low-cost aircraft that can take off and land in austere fields, fly for long periods, and support a variety of modular payloads.“

High-end server capability has become essential for running ISR mission software which must create a common operating picture by intelligently combining video feeds, imagery, geospatial data, and maps with tools to allow operators to maximize mission focus. The ZM3 uses a Type 7 COM Express module to support a 16-fore Xeon D processor with up to 96GB DDR4 RAM. It accommodates double-wide COTS high-end graphics cards and an additional PCIe card for custom user expansion.

“The ZM3 was designed to provide the enterprise-class capabilities of a rack mount server in a fraction of the size and weight, making it for space-constrained applications such as airborne ISR,” said Wade. “It is unique because it’s the smallest, lightest rugged mission computer available that can support an NVIDIA GPU card, which is needed to run the advanced and trusted mission execution software developed by L3Harris ForceX.“

With TranzPak storage series, the firm offer a line of rugged removable military storage modules. These products includes compact, lightweight, and easy-to-remove military storage drives. The drive modules are designed to work with the company’s line of rugged servers and computers and can be be integrated into its existing workstations. Designed to perform in harsh environments and MIL-Spec tested, these high-capacity storage drives offer protection for digital intelligence.

TranzPak 1 (TP1)

• Up to 8TB per module

• NVMe drive technology

• Compatible with ZM3 Computer and ZXC 18 lightweight server

• Standalone docking station available

TranzPak 1e (TP1e)

• E-label display

• Up to 8TB per module

• NVMe drive technology

• Compatible with ZM3 Computer and ZXC 18 lightweight server

• Standalone docking station available

TranzPak 2 (TP2)

• Up to 8TB per module

• SATA drive technology

• Compatible with ZX and ZXC rugged server series

• Standalone docking station available

About ZMicro
It provides rugged computing solutions for military and industrial applications. It offers off-the-shelf, customizable, built-to-spec military-grade computers, displays, storage, and video enhancement systems. All products are manufactured on-site at the firm’s AS9100-certified facility at its San Diego, CA, HQs. In business since 1986, its rugged computing products have been deployed in military, industrial and medical platforms WW.