DO-178C, slated for introduction this year, will bring safety-critical software development into the modern era. The core of DO-178C, produced by the DO-178C Plenary (SC-205/WG-71), under the direction of the RTCA and EuroCAE is based on DO-178B, with minor changes for clarification. But DO-178C adds support for advanced techniques such as model-based development, object-oriented programming and formal methods. DO-178C also introduces backwards and forwards traceability, which will make it easier for designers to verify that software developed using these advanced techniques achieves the desired level of safety criticality.

Automated tools such as those from LDRA greatly reduce the time and cost associated with developing DO-178-compliant software.