Solid State Disks Limited’s (SSDL’s) US-based subsidiary Arraid, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is supplying the United States Air Force (USAF) with 45 replacement data storage drives for automatic test equipment (ATE) stations designed to support F-16 fighter jets operated by the Air National Guard and allied foreign militaries. 

The contract was awarded by DLA Troop Support, and the replacement drives are Arraid AEM-8 drives. It is a twin-drive, 19-inch rack-mounted, solid-state-based replacement for any Hewlett Packard (HP) hard disk drive that adheres to the HP-IB interface standard (IEEE-488) and uses the CS/80 command set.

“The General Dynamics F-16 was introduced into service in 1978,” commented James Hilken, sales director of SSDL. “ATE stations were developed and subsequently evolved in parallel with the development of the aircraft and once it entered service.”

Hilken goes on to explain that the hard disk drives in the ATE stations would have changed over time but remained compliant with the Hewlett Packard HP-IB interface standard (IEEE-488) and the CS/80 command set. 

When the drives failed, and because the original parts had become obsolete, they were replaced with emulator drives made by Bering Technology.

“F-16 jets are slated to remain in active service through to 2030 and beyond,” added Hilken, “and Bering has ceased manufacturing and all repair operations. In other words, the F-16 ATEs are needed for several more years but have been hit by a second wave of obsolescence. Thankfully, our subsidiary Arraid, which like SSDL is part of the Reactive Engineering Group, is providing a long-term and dependable solution.”

The Arraid AEM-8 has been approved by the USAF as a suitable replacement for all HP hard disk drives and Bering emulators as used in the F-16’s ATEs - thus extending the life of the equipment - and provides a complete bridge between the host HP-IB controller and the AEM's SCSI drives. 

The order for the 45 AEM-8s was received in early February 2024 and a shipment of five units was made in mid-March, since when Arraid has been delivering at an average rate of four units per month.

Hilken concluded: “We’re currently well on track for completing the order in early 2025 and there is potential for a follow-on order, possibly for up to as many units again.”

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