What Does the United Kingdom Gain from the Industry’s First Safety-Certifiable VPX SBC?

What Does the United Kingdom Gain from the Industry’s First Safety-Certifiable VPX SBC?

According to the report by Next Move Strategy Consulting, the UK VPX SBC Market size is predicted to reach USD 29.6 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 15.5% from 2025 to 2030.

Try Your Free Sample Here: https://www.nextmsc.com/uk-vpx-sbc-market-se3107/request-sample

Since April 24, 2024, defense integrators have had access to the V3-1222—a rugged, 3U VPX single-board computer (SBC) that is the first in the industry to combine Intel® architecture with DO-254 Design Assurance Level A safety certification readiness. This advancement promises to reshape avionics computing in the United Kingdom by reducing development risk, cost, and schedule.

Why Is DO-254 Safety Certification Critical for UK Defense Applications?

Safety certification under DO-254 ensures that airborne electronic hardware meets the most stringent avionics standards:

  • Design Assurance Level A (DAL A) is the highest level of safety assurance for airborne electronic hardware, critical for UK military aircraft and unmanned systems.
  • The V3-1222 processor board is housed on a 3U VPX form factor specifically designed for DO-254 DAL A applications.
  • Use of COTS-available AC/AMC 20-152A artifacts eliminates the need for custom non-recurring engineering (NRE), saving time and cost.

Summary: United Kingdom defense platforms can leverage a pre-certified VPX SBC to accelerate avionic system certifications and reduce program risk.

Try Your Free Sample Today: https://www.nextmsc.com/vpx-sbc-market-se2909/request-sample

What Technical Specifications Define the V3-1222 3U VPX SBC?

The newly introduced V3-1222 single-board computer features the Intel® Core™ i7-1376PRE processor from the 13th Generation Raptor Lake family, delivering high-performance hybrid processing for mission-critical aerospace applications. Built on a compact 3U VPX (OpenVPX-compatible) form factor, it supports up to 64 GB of DDR5 memory and includes a high-speed M.2 NVMe SSD socket for storage. Designed with aviation-grade safety in mind, the board is engineered to meet DO-254 Design Assurance Level A certification standards. It also comes with the Intel® Airworthiness Evidence Package and COTS-available AC/AMC 20-152A DAL A-compliant design artifacts, which help streamline the certification process. Networking and I/O capabilities include PCIe Gen3 and 10GBase-KR Ethernet fabrics, making it suitable for high-throughput, latency-sensitive defense applications.

Summary: The V3-1222 combines leading-edge Intel processing, certified design artifacts, and industry-standard I/O to meet the stringent demands of UK avionics.

How Does the 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Processor Enhance UK Avionics Solutions?

  • Performance: The Intel® Core™ i7-1376PRE delivers a hybrid mix of performance and efficiency cores, enabling compute-intensive tasks such as signal processing and real-time analytics.
  • Reliability: Backed by the Intel® Airworthiness Evidence Package, the processor meets UK MOD requirements for airborne safety documentation.
  • Cost and Time Savings: By providing proven, safety-certifiable COTS data artifacts with no required NRE, system integrators can save millions of dollars and multiple years of development.

Summary: United Kingdom programs can deploy advanced Intel compute capabilities with minimal certification overhead, accelerating fielding of next-generation avionics.

What Development Benefits Do COTS-Available Artifacts Provide?

  • Reduced Program Risk: Pre-packaged design artifacts eliminate integration guesswork.
  • Lower Lifecycle Cost: No NRE for safety artifacts translates to direct savings.
  • Faster Time-to-Deployment: Engineers can focus on system-level certification rather than board-level design.

Key Takeaways:

  • Proven safety artifacts shorten project schedules.
  • COTS certification data lowers technical and financial barriers.
  • The UK defense industrial base gains competitive advantage in avionics integration.

Summary: COTS-available AC/AMC 20-152A DAL A artifacts streamline DO-254 compliance, enabling UK integrators to deliver certified solutions more efficiently.

Next Steps

For UK defense systems integrators and procurement officers, the introduction of the V3-1222 safety-certifiable VPX SBC offers clear pathways to modernization:

  1. Evaluate Compatibility: Assess OpenVPX backplane requirements against the V3-1222’s PCIe and Ethernet fabric profiles.
  2. Initiate Certification Planning: Leverage the Intel® Airworthiness Evidence Package to map out DO-254 DAL A certification milestones.
  3. Engage Suppliers Early: Coordinate with Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions to secure COTS data artifacts and support.
  4. Prototype Integration: Develop a proof-of-concept within a UK avionics environment to validate performance and certification flows.
  5. Scale Deployment: Plan for fielding across UK Royal Air Force and unmanned aerial vehicle platforms, integrating lessons learned into broader avionics roadmaps.

By following these action items, UK defense teams can capitalize on the industry’s first safety-certifiable 3U VPX SBC to deliver reliable, mission-critical computing solutions with unparalleled speed and cost efficiency.

Back to blog