Over about 20 years of working in U.S. Navy systems technology development – including must-have upgrades in radar, electronic warfare (EW), laser weapons, and more – I’ve witnessed firsthand how technology transforms naval warfare: The changes aren’t rapid! Delivering new transformative capabilities can take decades, from requirements development to securing funding to system development, integration, and testing.

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: The time has arrived for us to pull together the previous eight articles about the worldwide military platform markets, and organize that data in a clear and informative manner. We could spreadsheet all these numbers and produce some scatter plots or bubble charts. But, they seem so cold and dull. So, let’s take a more aesthetic and artistic approach, the "feng shei statistical analysis method” using balance and harmony. That requires a modified tree diagram. Everybody loves a good tree diagram.

Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day.

The U.S. Army’s recent mandate for software bills of materials (SBOMs) marks a significant step forward in bolstering software supply-chain security. This proactive measure, driven by President Biden’s 2021 executive order on cybersecurity, aims to improve the visibility and security of software components. As the federal government and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) prioritize supply-chain security, we can expect SBOM requirements to become a standard across all military branches.

When designing components for aerospace and defense systems, engineers must design not only for performance but also for reliability as many military applications fall under extreme environmental conditions. These conditions challenge the reliability, durability, and operational efficiency of equipment, necessitating innovative engineering approaches – especially with fiber-optic interconnect solutions that must withstand high demands in the field.

Fans of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) modular open systems approach (MOSA) mandate got a nice surprise before the December holiday season: a new Tri-Service memo emphasizing continued support for MOSA, well-timed with new DoD leadership coming in focused on reforming acquisition.

Embedded systems form the backbone of modern defense capabilities, controlling everything from weapons systems and communications to flight controls and mission-critical sensors. As adversaries become increasingly sophisticated with regard to cyberwarfare, securing the software within these embedded systems is necessary to maintain military advantage and operational resilience.

It’s in the U.S. Army’s nature to act with precision and synchrony when executing complex tasks such as multidomain operations, training, and logistics, so why would we expect anything less from the software that powers it?

Ushering in a new generation of Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications has been a primary goal for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Since the end of 2021, the DoD has been working toward network and voice modernization that relies on IP-based services instead of time division multiplexing (TDM) circuits. The department also set a policy that eliminates the use of TDM and requires the migration of all component mission requirements for transport to IP-based services by March 2025.

Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day.

President-elect Donald Trump says he is looking to disrupt government and eliminate waste and no department will go untouched, especially the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Aligning with billionaire and well-known cost-cutter Elon Musk, along with entrepreneur and erstwhile presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, he is forming the Department of Government Efficiency, what is planned to be a presidential advisory commission, to enact this promise.

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: Let’s take a break from exploring the worldwide markets for military platforms in these essays, and connect some dots between the SR-72, the (Next Generation Air Dominance) fighter plane, and the B-21 Bomber. From the latest news reports, they all seem to be related. Dissecting each of these platforms should give us a better understanding of what’s going on inside the U.S. Air Force.

Each issue, the editorial staff of Military Embedded Systems will highlight a different organization that benefits the military, veterans, and their families. We are honored to cover the technology that protects those who protect us every day.

Despite the recent surge in military spending on artificial intelligence (AI), the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is still falling behind its adversaries in leveraging this groundbreaking capability for national defense. Not only is China beginning to outpace the U.S. in both AI investment and innovation, but the DoD is also struggling to compete with the private sector in the war for talent.

Military embedded systems are pivotal in modern defense operations, ensuring robust, real-time data analysis and secure communication. They play critical roles in air, land, and naval platforms in support of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); command-and-control systems; and data acquisition. As the demand for these highly specialized systems grows, so too does the need for technological advances that address operational requirements and cost efficiency.