Case Study: BAE Systems achieves DO-178B Level A certification and doubles development efficiency with MathWorks Model-Based Design

BAE Systems Delivers DO-178B Level A Flight Software on Schedule with Model-Based Design

BAE Systems was developing DO-178B Level A flight‑control software for the world’s first fly‑by‑wire midsized business jet when a 2011 flood destroyed computers, documentation, and test equipment and the team was also tasked with a second flight‑critical application. To recover schedule and meet rigorous certification requirements—including producing roughly 200,000 lines of code—BAE Systems used MathWorks’ Model‑Based Design tools (MATLAB, Simulink, Embedded Coder, Simulink Requirements, and Simulink Coverage).

Using MathWorks’ toolset, BAE Systems modeled from IBM Rational DOORS requirements, ran desktop simulations with customer test vectors, traced requirements to model elements, used Simulink Coverage to close test gaps, and generated production code with Embedded Coder; after code review and verification the software achieved DO‑178B Level A certification from FAA, EASA, and another regulator. The outcome: development efficiency improved by about 1.5–2×, the certification schedule was maintained, ~200,000 lines of certified code entered production, and cross‑site team communication improved—Model‑Based Design is now being applied to a new project roughly ten times larger.

BAE Systems

Maria Radecki

Application Software Lead Engineer