Red Hat has announced that leading defense integrator Camber Corporation has deployed Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for its high performance computing and net-centric warfare training.

Camber Corporation, headquartered in Huntsville, AL, uses Red Hat Enterprise Linux for its Army Aviation sensor programs. Camber TacticalViewer image generators use Red Hat Enterprise Linux for the high fidelity physics based flight and sensor simulations. These tools provide the basis for engineering simulations and program risk and cost reductions that have saved and avoided $313 million in the past two years. These savings were a result of tasks ranging from flight test reduction to component performance prediction and analysis.

"Customization is typical in this market. The ability to tweak the kernel and get down to change the flight simulator code to make things happen is a real plus," said Tom Rix, senior engineer at Camber. "Off-the-shelf commercial simulators do not give you the flexibility and customization that a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system can provide."

Simulations have begun to adapt to situations commonly seen in today's asymmetrical battle space. These include intense open, and built up terrain and allow for the programming of multiple threats. Prior to deployment military personnel can become familiar with the operational area for specific region and know the sector before they arrive.

"Where the costs of live training have become unsustainable at high levels, military commanders need the ability to train forces using simulations based on the most updated operational and situational lessons learned from today's battlefield," said Barry Duplantis, special programs, Red Hat. "The flexibility and stability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux allow applications to be programmed with the most up-to-date data to support both single service and joint service simulations."
Red Hat Enterprise Linux creates a reliable, secure, enterprise platform designed for demanding simulation environments--with capabilities, tools and compliers that match or surpass those of proprietary operating systems. The ability to refresh existing technology, by importing it to Red Hat Enterprise Linux, enables users to efficiently upgrade military training programs and improve existing simulation systems.

Additionally, Red Hat Network allows administrators to efficiently manage the systems on their network. Through a simple user interface, administrators can perform patch management, updates, monitoring and maintenance. Satellite or Proxy server options provide advanced capabilities and support for disconnected environments.

"Red Hat Enterprise Linux is extremely adept at supporting high-performance memory management and CPU applications," said Duplantis. "It has proven to provide the flexibility and stability to support military training exercises which, at the end of the day, can be critical to the success of our military operations."