The company faced the challenge of ensuring the operational continuity of the lifecycle of essential systems and services. Adding to this challenge was the complexity of the systems' lifecycle, as these technologies are expected to remain operational for more than three decades. Navantia's mission is further intensified by the rapid evolution of hardware, which can often pose a challenge given the longevity required for developments in a sector like defense.
To help address this challenge, Navantia prioritized hardware and software abstraction, eliminating the dynamic software dependencies on the more stable underlying hardware requirements. In addition, the company sought to standardize the development of systems and services, which previously operated in separate silos, to optimize their maintenance and management. To address these challenges, the Navantia team deployed a suite of Red Hat open-source solutions to provide long-term support and interoperability.
Red Hat OpenShift serves as an application platform for virtualization, containers, and workload management in complex operating environments. This enables Navantia to develop, support, and manage a wide variety of applications, including those in distributed operating environments. This common platform approach provides greater flexibility, availability, and unified control. Navantia uses Red Hat Enterprise Linux as the base operating system for its consoles, containers, and virtual machines (VMs). The platform leverages a combination of specialized software and tools. To enable comprehensive management of its Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems, Navantia uses Red Hat Satellite for centralized system management and security updates.
Navantia has also received support from Red Hat Consulting for the deployment of these solutions, which are in an advanced stage of implementation. In addition, Navantia is developing advanced simulation and management tools. These models focus on predictive maintenance, automation, and operational efficiency. Furthermore, they are integrated into collaborative environments with strategic partners.
Looking ahead, Navantia plans to extend these deployments for adoption in its operating systems, facilitating continuous innovation in a context of accelerated digital transformation and growing demands in the defense sector.
