The testing, which began in mid-December, marks the start of operations at Northrop Grumman's systems integration laboratory in its San Diego facility, supporting work on the X-47B J-UCAS program. The company expects to install the remaining three workstations in the facility by March. These workstations include an X-47B vehicle management computer (VMC), a six-degree of freedom simulation, and the necessary input/output and test equipment to produce flight-ready software.

The Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL) is an integral risk reduction tool for the company's J-UCAS program. It enables the testing of 95% of the system as if it were actually airborne in a real aircraft. Knowing that a given subsystem has 'flown' successfully in the SIL provides greater confidence. It thereby raises the likelihood that when the subsystem actually flies in a real air vehicle, its performance will come close to what was predicted.

The J-UCAS program was established in the fall of 2003 to demonstrate the technical feasibility, military utility, and operational value of developing a network of high-performance and weaponized, unmanned aerial vehicles. These unmanned aircraft will conduct a variety of combat missions for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, including precision targeting, intelligence, and suppression of enemy air defenses.

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