Russia is developing a critical piece of aviation technology that is far less visible than an aircraft engine or composite wing but is just as important to the modern airliner: its operating system. To facilitate the operation of multiple safety-critical onboard applications with predictable response times, the JetOS real-time operating system (RTOS) was developed in Russia for civil aviation.
The State Research Institute of Aviation Systems (GosNIIAS), in collaboration with the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics and the Institute for System Programming of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is currently in the process of developing the system. JetOS is currently being integrated into the multifunction cockpit displays of the MC-21 and is designed for the onboard computers of Russian civil aircraft. In 2024, GosNIIAS stated that the system could accommodate up to 30 applications during flight.
JetOS had become an integral component of the software initiative that included the fully import-substituted MC-21-310 and SJ-100 by 2025. The OS DAY conference in 2026 once again addressed concerns regarding its certification, emphasizing that the project has progressed from the mere development of an operating system to the rigorous process of developing aviation-grade software.
Why an Aircraft Needs a Different Kind of Operating System
JetOS is not comparable to a traditional desktop operating system, such as macOS or Windows. A consumer computer typically aims to optimize overall performance and responsiveness, whereas an aircraft RTOS has a more fundamental requirement: predictability.
When an aircraft computer receives information from a sensor, processes navigation data, or updates a cockpit display, the software must execute these operations within strict time constraints. The goal is not just to execute as many calculations as feasible but to guarantee that critical operations occur at the designated time.
This is especially crucial when multiple applications use the same computing hardware. The ARINC 653 aviation standard, which establishes mechanisms for the separation of applications in time and space, serves as the foundation for JetOS. This shows that different software functions can operate on the same processor while remaining isolated from one another, thereby minimizing the likelihood that a malfunction in one application will disrupt the functionality of another. According to GosNIIAS, the JetOS interface has been implemented in accordance with ARINC 653.
Designed for the Highest Safety-Criticality Level
The development of JetOS under the requirements of KT-178C, Russia’s aviation adaptation of the international DO-178C framework for airborne software, is another defining feature. The software development lifecycle, which includes requirements, design, implementation, verification, and documentation, is regulated by the standard.
JetOS has also been developed with a microkernel architecture. The fundamental concept is to make the kernel as compact as possible, while other functions are separated into additional components. The approach can simplify isolation and verification of critical software.
The system was designed to be portable across several processor architectures, including PowerPC, ARM32, and ARM64. This is of strategic importance because an aircraft operating system cannot be permanently linked to a single processor or computing platform. A portable architecture provides Russian avionics manufacturers with increased adaptability in the event of hardware platform changes.
What Did the MC-21 Use Before JetOS?
Before the import-substituted configuration, Russian civil aircraft and avionics initiatives were dependent on a number of foreign RTOS platforms. VxWorks 653, PikeOS, MACS2, and LynxOS-178 have been identified as foreign systems that are used in Russian aviation by GosNIIAS officials and Russian government sources.
For the MC-21 program in particular, VxWorks 653 is the most clearly documented predecessor being replaced by JetOS. The JetOS is explicitly identified as an indigenous replacement for VxWorks 653 in the MC-21 and other future Russian aircraft in the GosNIIAS project description.
However, it would be too broad to say that every software function across every MC-21 prototype previously ran on VxWorks 653. The avionics architecture of the MC-21 is comprised of various software components, systems, and computers that were provided by various organizations. In various avionics contexts, the foreign RTOS platforms were implemented. The multifunction cockpit display is being integrated into the new Russian avionics architecture, which includes JetOS.
Russia’s Answer to VxWorks, PikeOS, and LynxOS
The foreign systems that JetOS is intended to replace are themselves highly specialized aviation products rather than ordinary operating systems.
VxWorks 653, developed by Wind River, is designed for safety-critical integrated modular avionics and provides partitioning capabilities associated with ARINC 653. PikeOS, developed by SYSGO, is another safety-critical platform used in aerospace and other high-assurance applications. LynxOS-178 is likewise designed for safety-critical embedded systems, while MACS2 has also been used in aviation.
This means that JetOS is entering a technological domain that has been established on a global scale. Its significance, therefore, cannot be measured simply by comparing the number of applications it can run with a conventional operating system. The more important question is if it can meet the certification evidence, verification discipline, determinism, and long-term support that are necessary for commercial aviation.
International Competition
Western aircraft manufacturers have historically depended on RTOS technologies that are similarly safety-critical. Boeing aircraft have implemented a variety of avionics applications that use VxWorks-based solutions and Green Hills Software’s INTEGRITY family, while Airbus aircraft implement a variety of certified operating-system technologies that are dependent on the system and aircraft generation.
The underlying concept is similar: partitioning multiple applications on shared computing hardware while guaranteeing that critical software is granted predictable access to memory and processor resources.
More Than Just the MC-21
GosNIIAS has suggested that JetOS may ultimately serve as a standard software foundation for the onboard equipment of future Russian aircraft. Its architecture was intentionally designed to accommodate a variety of hardware platforms, and the separation of platform-dependent and platform-independent components is intended to facilitate porting.
The MC-21 and SJ-100 are therefore more than initial users of the technology. They are effectively proving grounds for a broader Russian avionics software ecosystem.
That could be strategically significant for Russia’s commercial aviation industry. Although an aircraft may be built with domestic structures and powered by a domestically produced engine, true technological independence necessitates oversight of the software that regulates its increasingly intricate electronic systems.