Mercury Introduces ROCK 4 Mission Computer That Sets New Performance Standard for Small Form-factor Avionics

ANDOVER, Mass., June 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a technology company that delivers processing power for the most demanding aerospace and defense missions, today introduced ROCK 4, the first safety certifiable, small-form factor, ruggedized mission computer with latest 11th gen Intel^® Core™ i7 processors.

Why It Matters
Aerospace and defense platforms have precious little space to house the computing systems needed to power new capabilities, and small-form factor mission computers have not historically been powerful enough to run Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered and other advanced avionics workloads. ROCK 4 changes the paradigm by allowing existing air- and ground-based platforms to be rapidly upgraded with new sensors and mission applications that increase safety and effectiveness.

ROCK 4 mission computers feature Mercury’s proven BuiltSAFE commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) elements and artifacts, which have been tested, certified, and fielded over three decades on airborne platforms to deliver optimal performance and accelerate safety-critical systems integration. Modular and reusable, BuiltSAFE technologies maximize interoperability and speed technology refresh by minimizing the need for recertification.

Some of the first customers for ROCK 4 include several European police forces that needed to upgrade existing helicopter fleets. Mercury provided a solution that packages three ROCK 4 mission computers together with a video switch. The computers will enable the helicopters to run AI-powered search and rescue and surveillance applications and process video for multiple cockpit displays.

“As government organizations seek to extend the lifespans and maximize the effectiveness of existing platforms that support critical national security, law enforcement, and emergency response missions, the ability to insert next-generation technologies is essential,” said Wolfgang Tostmann, Mercury’s general manager for mission systems. “ROCK 4 is the ideal solution for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft that can benefit from enhanced capabilities that were not part of their original design, such as advanced surveillance, sense-and-avoid, autonomous, and semi-autonomous flight applications that enhance pilot situational awareness and increase aircraft survivability. ROCK 4 enhances the mission computing capabilities of the Mercury processing platform, enabling customers to bend the curve for the most critical aerospace and defense missions.”

Safe and Powerful Computing that Fits Anywhere

• Safety-certifiable 11th gen Intel^® Core™ i7 processor with built-in AI and hardware accelerators to run advanced avionics workloads
• 4x4 video/sensor switch with capture and processing to connect video to four displays
• Up to 1080p60 (full HD) video capabilities and a range of avionics I/O to capture and process camera feeds
• Stackable, passively cooled, and 3 kg lightweight design is easy to install and scale
• TPM 2.0 to implement advanced cybersecurity features
  

Mercury envisions, creates, and delivers innovative technology solutions purpose-built to meet its customers' most pressing high-tech needs. For more information, visit mrcy.com.

Mercury Systems – Innovation that Matters^® by and for People Who Matter 
Mercury Systems is a technology company that pushes processing power to the tactical edge, making the latest commercial technologies profoundly more accessible for today’s most challenging aerospace and defense missions. From silicon to system scale, Mercury enables customers to accelerate innovation and turn data into decision superiority. Mercury is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, and has 24 locations worldwide. To learn more, visit mrcy.com. (Nasdaq: MRCY)

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement 
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the products and services described herein and to business performance in fiscal 2023 and beyond, including our projections for revenue, organic growth, bookings growth, and adjusted EBITDA, our expectations regarding the size of our addressable market, and our plans for growth and improvement in profitability and cash flow. You can identify these statements by the use of the words “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “continue,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “likely,” “forecast,” “probable,” “potential,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, continued funding of defense programs, the timing and amounts of such funding, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Company’s markets, effects of epidemics and pandemics such as COVID, effects of any U.S. Federal government shutdown or extended continuing resolution, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, inflation, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, changes in, or in the U.S. Government’s interpretation of, federal export control or procurement rules and regulations, changes in, or in the interpretation or enforcement of, environmental rules and regulations, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in or delays in receiving components, supply chain delays or volatility for critical components such as semiconductors, production delays or unanticipated expenses including due to performance quality issues or manufacturing execution issues, the impact of the COVID pandemic and supply chain disruption, inflation and labor shortages, among other things, on program execution and the resulting effect on customer satisfaction, inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions, restructurings and value creation initiatives such as 1MPACT, or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses and achieving anticipated synergies, effects of shareholder activism, increases in interest rates, changes to industrial security and cyber-security regulations and requirements, changes in tax rates or tax regulations, such as the deductibility of internal research and development, changes to interest rate swaps or other cash flow hedging arrangements, changes to generally accepted accounting principles, difficulties in retaining key employees and customers, which difficulties may be enhanced by the Company’s announced strategic review initiative, including a potential sale of the Company, unanticipated challenges with the transition of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer role, unanticipated costs under fixed-price service and system integration engagements, and various other factors beyond our control. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 1, 2022. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made. 

MEDIA CONTACT
Turner Brinton
Mercury Systems
turner.brinton@mrcy.com

Mercury Systems and Innovation That Matters are registered trademarks of Mercury Systems, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9c4fc05e-8b93-4373-b758-10f07d5481df