CSH HIGHWAY CONTROLLER OBSOLESCENCE UPGRADE

J+S’s Defence based business in Barnstaple has recently been awarded a significant contract to upgrade the Combat System Highway (CSH) Highway Controller / Health Monitors (HCHM) to overcome obsolescence.

The CSH is a highly robust and resilient local area network designed to distribute Combat System data, in the form of messages, between weapons, sensors, command, control and communications equipment, on a wide range of Royal Navy Surface Fleet Platforms. The HCHM is the main element of the CSH, managing the network to ensure real-time, deterministic communication between all of its member systems is reliably maintained.

Developed by J+S in the mid 1980’s, the Company has been carefully monitoring and managing rising levels of obsolescence and has now been awarded the task of inserting technology to overcome the existing obsolescence. This upgrade programme will provide the CSH with a new lease of life, ensuring it remains capable and supportable throughout the extended life of platforms such as the T23 Frigate. The CSH is expected to remain in service to the out of service date of the platform.

The obsolescence upgrade will significantly reduce the number of electronic circuit cards and this in turn will reduce Through Life Support Costs. In addition, the introduction of new technology inherently enhances the equipment and facilitates a user friendly Human Computer Interface.

The obsolescence upgrade embraces Open Architecture and future proofing principles which ensures that the CSH will have the potential expandability for communication with legacy networks and future open LANs.

Commenting on the contract award, Managing Director, David Jeffries said

“The award of this contract represents a major milestone in the development of CSH and will ensure the Highway is future proofed and able to contribute actively to the needs of the Royal Navy in support of the management of data in battle conditions for the next twenty years.

At J+S we are delighted to be able to continue with the development of the CSH, a system we have developed and supported for over twenty years”.

J+S operates from sites at Barnstaple and Aberdeen, employing 120 people engaged on a range of engineering and production activities, primarily in naval and sub-sea asset management for the North Sea oil and gas exploration markets. The Company has recently entered the wave and tidal sectors of the Marine Renewable Energy market.

J+S Ltd is the Design Authority for the CSH and provides a wide range of support products and services, such as simulators, recording and analysis equipment, software applications and libraries, integration support services and In Service Support. For further information please contact Mr Paul Parsons, Business Development Manager –01271 337534