In today’s defense and aerospace systems, the software stack is rapidly becoming as complex and as critical as the hardware it runs on. Modern edge platforms increasingly support multithreaded real-time applications, machine learning (ML) inference, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and third-party integrations. In these environments, deterministic behavior, system robustness, and security are not optional – they are mission requirements.

I’ve been into modular since I was a kid. I didn’t know it, but I was. Think Legos and Lincoln Logs. If you don’t know the latter, just Google it.

Across today’s operational theaters, from crowded urban corridors to contested border zones, the battlespace is shaped as much by electronic pressures as by the terrain underfoot.

For decades, militaries have pursued a single idea, connecting every sensor, platform, and soldier into a unified web of intelligence. From the U.S. military’s network-centric warfare initiatives of the 1990s to the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) program launched in the late 2010s, this vision has steadily evolved.

Federal teams spent the past year testing artificial intelligence (AI) applications, measuring return on investment, and separating hype from reality. These teams identified where AI delivers results and where it falls short, gaining the experience needed to drive real transformation. Earlier this year, the White House AI Action Plan called on the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to aggressively adopt AI across functions from the battlefield to back-office operations, thereby signaling the government's commitment to moving beyond experimentation.

The mid-2025 assertion from U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) chief technology officer Emil Michael that artificial intelligence (AI) will “transform future warfighting” is echoing across the entire defense industry. It’s clear that AI has rapidly become a non-negotiable technology for the DoD, particularly in warfighting environments.

The U.S. is underprepared for the urgent and serious threat that unmanned aerial systems (UASs), also known as drones, pose to our nation.

The insertion of commercial products into military acquisitions is critical for the future strategic advantage of the U.S. and allied nations; the recent acquisition reforms put forward by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Secretary Hegseth put this certainty front and center. The reasons are obvious: The continued conflict in Ukraine, the rapid increase in Chinese production capability, and technological advancement in artificial intelligence (AI).

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.

Six years have passed since the tri-service memo was issued by the Air Force, Army, and Navy leadership mandating the use of a modular open systems approach (MOSA) in all new programs and technology refreshes. Many in the defense community were already embracing MOSA strategies and leveraging open standards, but having the three services mandate it promised faster adoption. Update: It’s happening. MOSA is already the law and now defense secretary Pete Hegseth is dictating a MOSA approach as part of his efforts to reform and speed up the defense acquisition process.

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG. Before we jump to another topic in these articles, it would be appropriate, relevant, and instructive if we conclude this series on the worldwide military markets by looking at NATO in Europe, and the spending by military alliances and security agreements in the Pacific area. The SIPRI report (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) does a nice job of breaking down the regional military markets if you need more details than we cover here. Put this information under demand-side data in your collection.

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.

On today’s battlefield, the task of ensuring that critical data reaches the tip of the spear more quickly and reliably is pivotal, yet is sometimes overlooked. While major investments have been made in bolstering data flow to and from the tactical operations center (TOC), this reality disregards the most critical part of the battlespace: the ultimate edge, or the last mile, where forward-deployed warfighters and unmanned systems operate. Here, connectivity isn’t just a convenience – it’s the lifeline for split-second decisions and survivability. In an autonomy-first world, warfighters need a new paradigm for supporting operators where it matters most.

LONDON -- DSEI UK 2025. Speaking with embedded computing suppliers at the DSEI 2025 show in London this week, I’m hearing growing support of requirements for open standards and open architectures, even if they don’t necessarily know about the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) mandate for MOSA, or modular open systems approach, content.

The next generation of defense systems will not excel in modern warfare through hardware alone, but rather by how quickly and confidently we can design, validate, and deploy it. As mission complexity increases and multidomain coordination becomes the norm, traditional engineering approaches are unable to support today’s complex system of systems. The conflict in Ukraine has shown that using artificial intelligence (AI) in unmanned systems is a viable solution to reduce direct warfighter involvement while enhancing and increasing combat effectiveness.