SECT-AIR is an aerospace technology institute (ATI) project, which aims to optimize software costs and timescales in the aerospace sector. SECT-AIR will develop systems that increase the productivity of critical software development in the UK aerospace industry, and encourage the use of these systems. The project has been designed to meet the increasing need for efficient and maintainable development processes in the critical software industry.

This need is being met by the project partners (see below). The project, which began in July 2016, has been taking place over the past 3 years with a budget of slightly over £10 million, funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK.

During the project, Rapita Systems is developing improved processes for the development and maintenance of embedded software with an emphasis on unit test generation and execution.

SECT-AIR has helped Rapita Systems to:

• Accelerate development of its functional testing software RapiTest by using new ideas and techniques shared between project partners.
• Make new software tools an industrial reality at a far faster pace than would have been possible without SECT-AIR.
• Open large business opportunities that would have otherwise been closed, including large V&V service projects using the Rapita Verification Suite.
• Greatly accelerate the process of providing our world-leading multicore timing analysis solution.
• Create a path for upgrading projects using legacy Ada testing tools to RapiTest.

Who is involved?

• Rolls Royce (Lead participant and project manager)
• Rapita Systems Ltd.
• Altran UK Ltd.
• D-RisQ Ltd.
• BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd.
• Flight Refuelling Ltd.
• GE Aviation Systems Ltd.
• Leonardo MW Ltd.
• MBDA UK Ltd.
• Ultra-Electronics Holdings Plc.
• University of Southampton
• University of Oxford
• University of York