diff --git a/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.cpp b/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..82ce117718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#include "AP_FWVersion.h"
+
+namespace AP {
+
+const AP_FWVersion &fwversion()
+{
+    return AP_FWVersion::get_fwverz();
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.h b/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.h
index 7ec8905831..f191a57592 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_Common/AP_FWVersion.h
@@ -3,13 +3,28 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <GCS_MAVLink/GCS_MAVLink.h>
 
-typedef struct {
+class AP_FWVersion {
+
+public:
+
     uint8_t major;
     uint8_t minor;
     uint8_t patch;
     FIRMWARE_VERSION_TYPE fw_type;
     const char *fw_string;
     const char *fw_hash_str;
+    const char *middleware_name;
     const char *middleware_hash_str;
+    const char *os_name;
     const char *os_hash_str;
-} AP_FWVersion;
+
+    static const AP_FWVersion &get_fwverz() { return fwver; }
+
+private:
+
+    static const AP_FWVersion fwver;
+};
+
+namespace AP {
+    const AP_FWVersion &fwversion();
+};