Curtiss-Wright DTS1+ Single Slot Secured NAS COTS DAR Storage Solution

Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division has introduced the next gen of its DTS1 Data Transport System.

The DTS1+ single slot NAS device features enhanced performance and capabilities while retaining the same form/fit/function as the DTS1, industry’s first commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) data-at-rest (DAR) storage solution to support 2 layers of full disk encryption (FDE) in a single device.

The DTS1+ is designed to store and protect large amounts of data on helicopters, fighters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft that require the protection of sensitive DAR to international standards.

The original DTS1 data recorder is the embedded industry’s first COTS DAR storage solution designed to support Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) with 2 layers of encryption in a single device. CSfC is an NSA-approved approach for protecting classified National Security Systems (NSS) information in aerospace and defense applications that uses cost-effective commercial encryption technologies in a layered solution. It is also the only Common Criteria-certified NAS solution approved by the NSA and approved by NATO with 2 certified encryption layers. The company has formally commenced the Common Criteria (ISO-15408) certification process for DTS1+, which is currently undergoing certification for CSfC, with completion expected later in 2023.

“The great success of our original DTS1 data recorder, with hundreds fielded today, results from its ability to deliver a turnkey solution for NSA approved CSfC with two layers of full disk encryption in a single device, eliminating the need for system integrators to combine two independent encryption layers,” said Chris Wiltsey, SVP and GM, defense solutions division. “Our new DTS1+ takes this further, with faster Ethernet data transfer rates and enhanced hardware encryption all while reducing program risk, schedule risk, and cost.”

Removable Memory Cartridge

With nearly double the Ethernet data rates (190MB/s write and 220MB/s read) of its predecessor, the DTS1+ also integrates the latest gen hardware encryption device, which supports FIPS 140-2 Level encryption via 128-bit AES-XTS. The compact, single-slot CSfC Certifiable DTS1+ also supports the same external cables and Removable Memory Cartridges (RMC) used with the DTS1, for storage up to 8TB per RMC.

The small DTS1+ NAS device weighs 3.77 lb. (1.71 kg) and measures 1.5×5.0x6.5” (38.1x127x 165.1mm). The DTS1+ supports PXE protocol so that network clients on a vehicle or aircraft can quickly boot from the encrypted files on the DTS1+’s RMC storage unit. This approach both facilitates software updates for network clients and significantly reduces SWaP by eliminating the need for individual HDDs in each network client. The company offers 2 mounting options, the VS-DTS1+SL-FD, which is designed for cockpit use with DZUS mounting panel, and the VS-DTS1+SL-F, which uses L-brackets to support flexible mounting within space-constrained platforms.

The DTS1+ enables any network-enabled device to retrieve stored data or save newly captured data. It supports networked devices using heterogeneous operating systems (Linux, VxWorks, Windows, etc.) that support industry-standard NAS protocols (i.e., NFS, CIFS, FTP, or HTTP). The DTS1+ also supports iSCSI protocol for block data storage and PCAP protocol for Ethernet packet capture.