What you’ll learn:
- How embedded technology is advancing military operations.
- Why open standards are crucial to today’s electronics systems.
- The importance of a unified infrastructure across critical communication systems.
Technology shifts are happening at an unprecedented pace, and embedded systems and components critical to modern warfare need to keep up with these advances. More than ever before, common hardware standards are providing military and defense organizations with streamlined system development and communication, helping to facilitate interoperability and processing requirements.
With a commitment from the Department of Defense (DoD) to implement a Modular Open Standards Approach (MOSA) across all branches of the government, embedded computing companies are focusing on collaboration and technology reuse when designing and building technologically advanced, reliable rugged systems.
Managing Component Availability in Embedded Systems
In the military, defense and aerospace industries, where programs can take years and millions of dollars to develop, and then test and qualify, longevity of electronics is a valid concern.
High-performance embedded systems aren’t like the latest cell phones, easily discarded when the next upgrade comes along. They’re comprised of rugged, or even military-grade, products that take time and money to create as well as effort to qualify for use in a military program. Not only that, but systems need to accommodate upgrades and updates, while preserving most of the existing system infrastructure. Availability is measured in years, or even decades, as programs move from LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) to full production cycles.
Modular, open standards-based systems use a unified, compatible development structure, meaning faster development. Therefore, systems are ready in months, not years. Rugged systems that embrace common mechanical, electrical, management, and security capabilities mean that components are more compatible with one another, saving on non-recurring engineering costs and integration resources as well as reducing risks.
The communities established within several leading open standards organizations, like VITA and SOSA (The Open Group Sensor Open Systems Architecture), all work toward the common goal of lengthening the operational life of a system while incorporating innovative technology upgrades (Fig. 1).
By employing an open standards-based infrastructure, system designers can leverage economies of scale and increase the likelihood of continuity and reliability of system components.
Building toward a common platform helps deliver practical applications like communications, C5ISR, SIGINT, EW, and more, used on air, ground, and sea platforms. Interoperability among manufacturers streamlines development initiatives and enables the implementation of technology innovations such as highly integrated functionality, advanced application performance, and strong video, AI, and ML processing capabilities across widely used industry platforms.
This fosters a flexible development environment—the same base technologies can perform similar functions across different applications, further improving the economic advantages of open standards-based electronics.
Open hardware standards have played a pivotal role in providing military and defense organizations with streamlined system development and communication. It results in cost-efficiencies across the board and a unified network of partners working toward a common goal.
Unified Communications Architecture
Developing products and systems that support a common architecture and migration path means today’s embedded systems for ground and air applications can pack more computing performance and tighter system integration into SWaP-optimized, rugged platforms.
Open standards are equally crucial for interoperability between platforms, leading to more evolved and integrated initiatives like the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2). The CJADC2 is a multinational framework for integrated command and control that seeks to enable seamless information sharing, rapid decision-making, and coordinated actions across diverse military forces and platforms (Fig. 2).
By fostering cooperation, intelligence sharing, and integrated capabilities across multiple nations, CJADC2 enhances operational effectiveness and agility in an increasingly complex and contested environment. Adherence to open standards within CJADC2 is critical for interoperability across platforms developed by different vendors or military branches.
For example, Aitech’s SOSA aligned U-C8500 builds on Intel's Tiger Lake UP3 SoC to deliver the computational power required to process sensor data, run battlefield management systems, and enhance fire control in real-time.
The U-C8500’s alignment with standards like SOSA and NATO’s FMN allows for seamless integration of systems, promoting collaboration and reducing the time and cost of deployment. This open standard approach ensures CJADC2 can quickly incorporate cutting-edge technologies and maintain operational efficiency.
Moreover, open standards enhance resilience and foster better collaboration between allied forces. As multi-domain warfare increasingly involves coalition operations, ensuring that systems across nations can communicate and share data is critical. SOSA-aligned boards, like the U-C8500, build a robust ecosystem that strengthens CJADC2’s ability to execute joint missions and contribute to superior decision-making in complex operational environments.
HPEC Relies on Rugged Systems
A particularly critical area that’s helped transform modern high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) is data processing at the edge, which requires reliable, resilient systems to ensure consistent, low-latency operation.
For military and defense applications, processing data next to the sensor in remote and rugged environments enables significantly improved decision-making across multiple platforms. Real-time capture and processing of data and graphics from several inputs simultaneously, while managing all from many I/O interfaces, gives combatant commanders the high-performance embedded systems critical in modern warfare. Armed with improved strategic intelligence means a better advantage on the battlefield.
These HPEC systems not only support crucial, lifesaving and security-focused applications, but must withstand extreme shock and vibration as well as severe and expansive temperature and humidity fluctuations, ranging from sub-zero to triple digits.
Applying ruggedization to boards and systems provides durable computing power that can be used in a wider number of remote and mobile locations as well as in unmanned and autonomous vehicles. An understanding of how to design reliable systems for these different environments becomes a defining point in mission success. This includes determining which techniques will best mitigate the effects of various environmental hazards as well as ensure that systems meet specific application requirements.
An Example of Standards Technology Use
Entered into service in 1980, the M1 Abrams is a testament to the longevity of rugged electronics and the need to advance a computing infrastructure from within an existing system. During its tenure, the tank has introduced several modern technologies to the United States armored forces, including a multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blowout compartment, and NBC protection for crew safety.
Initial designs were upgraded with the existing M1A2 system enhancement package (SEP) v3, which incorporates several technology improvements such as thermal imaging, computerized fire control systems, and reactive armor (Fig. 3).
HPC enables the vehicle to leverage AI, machine learning, and advanced situational-awareness tools, ensuring quick decision-making and faster, more accurate threat detection and target engagement in combat. HPC also positions the M1E3 for future capabilities such as autonomous systems, predictive maintenance, and smart logistics.
With onboard systems capable of performing diagnostics and vehicle health monitoring in real-time, the Abrams can reduce downtime, lower operational costs, and remain combat-ready. The immense computer power available ensures that the M1E3 stays at the cutting edge of battlefield technology, while optimizing performance for today’s military requirements.
The high-performance boards required for this type of infrastructure must deliver the processing power needed to quickly convert data streams from land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains into actionable intelligence. This rapid data fusion enables faster and more accurate decision-making in dynamic combat environments, ensuring that commanders and warfighters maintain a strategic edge.
Compliance with open standards, like SOSA, ensures that the Abrams M1E3 remains modular and easily upgradable, and that it can integrate technologies from multiple vendors, allowing for faster upgrades, reduced costs, and greater flexibility in adapting to new battlefield technologies. This also reduces the time needed to bring new systems online and minimizes integration challenges, helping the M1E3 stay ahead of threats.
As modern military operations increasingly demand joint, multi-domain coordination, the M1E3’s ability to seamlessly connect with other systems ensures it remains an effective part of the broader network. Such adaptability and flexibility are essential for ensuring mission success in the ever-evolving landscape of joint and coalition warfare.
Heading Toward Improved Operational Effectiveness
In the CJADC2 framework, HPC is essential for processing and analyzing vast amounts of data from multiple domains in real-time as it supports the integration of AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics into CJADC2. This enhances the system's ability to manage autonomous systems, optimize resource deployment, and streamline mission planning.
As modern conflicts become increasingly data-driven, high-performance, open standards-based system components will ensure that CJADC2 systems can handle the demands of multi-domain operations. In turn, they will allow for scalability and agility on the battlefield.
The fundamentals of embedded systems have changed over the past few years. As technologies have evolved at a breakneck pace, computing capabilities followed suit, making exponential leaps and bounds ahead of electronics of the past few decades. Compact system footprints, open standards-based architectures, and ruggedization of electronics have all fueled this advancement of embedded systems.
