Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., required a data-recording solution for its work with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (Aegis BMD) weapon system. The company’s small business initiative turned to VMETRO Inc. in Houston for its Vortex data-recording systems.

The systems, based on VMETRO’s Vortex VME open data-recording platform, provide playback of recorded data over 10-Gigabit Ethernet. According to the $600,000 initial contract, VMETRO’s Applications Group also will develop application-specific software to meet record and playback requirements.

The Vortex system will be integrated into Lockheed Martin’s instrumentation and test plan for the Aegis BMD signal processor (BSP). The Aegis BMD, currently in development and scheduled for installation in ships beginning in 2010, helps users defeat complex ballistic missile threats through an advanced discrimination capability. The primary component of the sea-based element of the BMD system, the Aegis BMD combines the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 vertical launching system, the SM-3 missile, and a command and control system. For more information, visit www.vmetro.com.