The Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE™) Consortium, an Open Group Managed Consortium

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Leading the development of open standards for avionics systems

A managed consortium hosted by The Open Group, the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE™) Consortium is an aviation-focused professional group made up of U.S. industry suppliers, customers and users. The Consortium is creating a technologically appropriate open FACE reference architecture, standards and business model that will result in:

• Standardized approaches for using open standards within avionics systems
• Lower implementation costs of FACE systems
• Standards that support a robust architecture and enable quality software development
• The use of standard interfaces that will lead to reuse of capabilities
• Defined interoperability within FACE systems and components
• Portability of applications across multiple FACE systems and vendors
• Procurement of FACE conformant products
• More capabilities reaching the Warfighter faster
• Innovation and competition within the avionics industry

The FACE Consortium provides a vendor-neutral forum for industry and the U.S. government to work together to develop and consolidate the open standards, best practices, guidance documents and business models necessary to achieve these results

The FACE Advantage

• Enables, enhances, and accelerates capabilities to the Warfighter
• Provides open standards and standard software interfaces
• Increases software portability
• Promotes reusable software capabilities
• Establishes a business model that is beneficial to both industry and government
• Fosters innovation and competition
• Developed by The Open Group FACE™ Consortium with broad industry and government membership

Customer Support of FACE

Vice Adm. David Architzel, Commander, Naval Air Systems Command:
“The Naval Aviation Enterprise recognizes that future capability will come from systems controlled by software. With the creation of the FACE Technical Standard, the DoD and our industry partners in the FACE consortium are setting the direction for software portability and interoperability. This standard will enable reduced costs and speed delivery of technical innovation to the warfighting community.”

Maj. Gen. Tim Crosby, PEO Aviation, U.S. Army:
"FACE is exactly the kind of government-industry cooperative effort needed to ensure that Army Aviation keeps pace with the speed of information technology development that has so dramatically transformed our day-to-day lives. We see this as a key to providing our soldiers what they need to maintain a tactical advantage over the enemy."

Rear Adm. Steven R. Eastburg, Vice Commander, Naval Air Systems Command:
"The FACE Consortium is a perfect example of the type of "win-win" partnerships that propel innovation and benefit all players - our programs, the industrial base (including small businesses), and ultimately the Warfighter. The business case is simple. With shrinking defense budgets and a strong demand signal from the government, companies are starting to realize their market shares will decline unless they adopt Open Architectures. And we know breaking "vendor lock" benefits programs by increasing competition and speed to market, and reducing sustainment costs, all pillars of OSD's "Better Buying Power initiatives."

Col. Anthony W. Potts, Program Manager, PM Aviation Systems, U.S. Army:
“I have been a supporter of the FACE Consortium and its efforts since I was first briefed on their activities. Software portability is essential to reducing costs and expediting the fielding of new capabilities to our aviation warfighters. I have directed the FACE standards be applied to the design and development of the Improved Data Modem Open System Architecture (IDM OSA), as the Army’s first application of this important standard.”

Capt. Tracy Barkhimer, Program Manager, Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209):
“This is quite possibly the most important innovation in Naval aviation since computers were first incorporated into airplanes. This will truly pave the way for the future.”
 

FACE Consortium Members Site [6]