PYRAMID Programme

Contents

1. PYRAMID Programme

2. PYRAMID Vision

3. PYRAMIDreference Deliveryarchitecture

4. Exploitation and the PYRAMID Industry Advisory Group (IAG)

5. International Alignmentalignment

6. CESTIUS

7. PYRAMID Documentationdocumentation

8. Support for adoption

9. Contact Usus

PYRAMID Programme

The United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of Defence (MOD) has recognised that mission systems software is becoming ever more complex and expensive to develop.

Technological advances mean software must be rapidly adapted to respond to evolving threats and capability needs. The UK MOD has developed a reusable and open airavionics system reference architecture; applicable for both legacy and future air platforms. Known as PYRAMID, this approach will make upgrades more rapid and reduce software maintenance costs.

The PYRAMID programme introduces a paradigm shift to the current method of avionic systems design and maintenance. PYRAMID aims to make legacy and future air mission systems affordable, capable, and adaptable by adoption of an open systems architecture approach and systematic software re-use.

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton’s ambition is for PYRAMID adoption across all of our air platforms as an enabler towards achieving rapid adaptability and effective collaboration.

CAS 2023 review and endorsement of the PYRAMID Programme

Video: CAS 2023 Review and Endorsement of the PYRAMID Programme

An introduction to PYRAMID

Video: An Introduction to PYRAMID

The focus of the programme has been to develop the core PYRAMID Reference Architecture (PRA). Previously, mission systems software was bespoke to each air platform and was not designed to be compatible with the wider platform portfolio. PYRAMID aims to break this mould, allowing each software component to be compatible with other platforms that have adopted the PRA. PYRAMID is anticipated to leadprovide to significant benefits for both the UK and our allies, including:

• rapid adaptability and capability evolution;evolution
• increased potential for re-use of software artefacts;artefacts
• decreased integration times of new capabilities;capabilities
• reduced impact of obsolescence;obsolescence
• reducedenhanced avionicscollaboration andwith missionallies systemand maintenance costs.partners

ReflectingTo realise this huge potential, the UK MOD has made a significant investment in PYRAMID. Sponsored by the Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) within Royal Air ForceForce’s (RAF)Rapid AirCapabilities Command,Office (RCO), PYRAMID is a key element of the UK Combat Air Strategy. The 2023 Defence Command Paper also recognises the importance of the adoption of Open Systems and PYRAMID. Defence Command Paper 2023: Defence’s response to a more contested and volatile world

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PYRAMID Deliveryreference architecture

Underpinning PYRAMID is the PYRAMID Reference Architecture (PRA) that was developed using rigorous Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) principles. The PRA componentsis comprisea component-based architecture where the component definitions include roles, responsibilities, and well-defined interfacesinterfaces. withThe PRA also includes compliance rules to buildfollow when building mission system deployments.deployments Componentsthat withincover the architecturefull canrange beof usedlegacy toand supportfuture aaircraft rangetypes, ofroles and mission typesphases.

The PYRAMIDPRA, documentation,guidance knownand ascompliance rules are documented in the ‘PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack’,Pack’ and can be found at the links belowin andthe PYRAMID Documentation section. The pack provides all the information required when developing PYRAMID-based systems.

Alongside the PRA, the programme has de-risked the technical solution through the development and demonstration of PYRAMID-compliant architectures and software components. The programme used the expertise and experience of more than 200 system and software engineers; and, although led by BAE Systems, the team has included specialists from across the UK’s avionics industry.

Exploitation and the PYRAMID Industry Advisory Group (IAG)

Delivering the benefits of PYRAMID requires effective exploitation across national and international acquisition programmes. The UK MOD are supporting this through the provision of training, targeted briefingsbriefings, and engineering support. There are an increasing number of organisations that have conductedundertaken the PYRAMID training and are developing PYRAMID compliant software within their systems.programmes.

The second phase of the CESTIUS project provided further validation of PYRAMID where GDUK re-engineered their Stores Management System using the PYRAMID approach. This validation exercise has given the UK MOD and industry further assurance that the PRA is mature and ready to be adopted but also can be applied to legacy systems and subsystems.

UK industry established the PYRAMID Industry Advisory Group (IAG) to work together as an exploitation community, to discuss developments, and provide a single source of feedback to the UK MOD. If you are interested in joining this forum, please get in touch with us via the ‘contact us’ section at the bottom of the page.page and we will forward your request to the IAG Chair.

International Alignmentalignment

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CESTIUS

TheMore CESTIUSspecifically, projecta wasjoint establisheddemonstration toactivity providebetween validation by testing the opennessUK and usabilitythe ofUS PYRAMID.Army Theincluded contractthe wasintegration awardedof toa GDUK,PYRAMID whocomponent usedinto thea PYRAMIDUS Exploiter’sArmy Packdemonstrator toand develop a componentUS whichArmy wassoftware thencomponent integrated into thea BAE Systems PYRAMID demonstrator. This provided anshowed evaluationthat ofeven where the technicalexecution approachplatforms withwere GDUKdifferent actingcapability ascould abe componentexchanged supplier and BAEintegrated Systemsfar themore systemrapidly integrator.and Followingeffectively thethan successwould ofhave thisbeen phase,the GDUKapproach usedwith PYRAMIDtraditional software approaches.

Further to re-engineerthis, theirdetailed Storesanalysis Managementof System.the ThisFuture validationAirborne exerciseCapability Environment (FACE) approach has givenshown thethat UKnot MODonly andis industryPYRAMID furthercompatible assurancewith thatFACE but the PRAtwo isapproaches matureare andcomplimentary; readya tovery beimportant adopted.conclusion for future joint programmes.

PYRAMID Documentationdocumentation

A key goal of the PYRAMID programme is to maximise adoption on both a national and international level. To achieve this, the PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack has been produced for use by system integrators and component suppliers across industry; and government staff responsible for the acquisition of PYRAMID-compliant products. The PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack Version 4.1 main document introduces and defines the scope of PYRAMID and includes several Annexes:

• PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack version 4.1 Annex A :- PRA Description Document - The PRA Description Document details the scope of the architecture, the component specifications, and the policies of the architecture.architecture, and examples (called Interaction Views) of how the components could be connected together.
• PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack version 4.1 Annex B:B - Deployment Guide - The Deployment Guide describesprovides platform-independentguidance andto platform-specificengineers systemon andwhat componentto design,consider includingwhen guidancedeveloping ona logicalPYRAMID architecting,based componentsystem specifications,and bridges,how andthis counterparts.may compare to more traditional development processes.
• PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack version 4.1 Annex C:C - Compliance Guide - The Compliance Guide provides instructionsthe onrules achievingto be followed to achieve PYRAMID compliance on a component level and on a deployment level; including methods and templates for reporting compliance.
• PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack version 4.1 Annex D: - Glossary - The Glossary establishesprovides definitions for terms used within the Exploiter’s Pack.
• PRA Model - This was developed using MBSE techniques using the PTC Integrity Modeler (now Windchill Modeller) toolset. This model is also available with the PYRAMID Exploiter’s Pack along with HTML and XMI exports. For  access please get in touch with us via the ‘contact us’ section at the bottom of the page.

Support for adoption

The PYRAMID programme also offers a query service via the PYRAMID Mailbox to aid adoption. Known as the PYRAMID Query Management Service, it provides a process for prospective exploiters, adopting programmes, and other stakeholders to raise queriesqueries, and submit requests for support.support Thisand includesgain access to PYRAMID training.

Contact Usus

If you are interested in learning more about the programme or would like to submit a query, request support, or access PYRAMID training, please use the email address below to get in touch.

PYRAMID Mailbox: PYRAMID@mod.gov.uk