Only recently, Iran jammed satellite internet signals to restrict access inside its own borders, while Russia has constantly interfered with satellite broadcasts that support Ukraine – these are just some of the more visible demonstrations of the fact that space systems can be disrupted and that they are considered targets in modern conflict.

In the early days of avionics, software operated in silos, or isolated computing environments with little to no outside connectivity. Today, modern airborne systems are increasingly linked to maintenance systems, passenger networks, and cloud-based analytics.

Russia's use of low-cost Shahed and Geran drones in Ukraine has exposed a gap in Western defense. NATO and allied forces have no efficient counter to cheap, high-volume aerial threats. Each swarm attack forces defenders to use interceptors that cost hundreds of times more than the incoming drones. Stockpiles deplete and production cannot keep up. Current propulsion systems are either too expensive, too slow to manufacture, or lack the performance to complete the mission. The solution requires propulsion systems that deliver performance and reliability at a price point and production scale that matches the threat. Turbojet engines with start times less than 20 seconds, speeds as fast as 0.9 Mach, and proven manufacturability enable a path forward.

There’s a major technology evolution happening that impacts everyone’s internet access – but no one is talking about it. It’s not AI or an emerging cyber threat, but the transition to the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP), IPv6.

Modern light military vehicles were originally engineered with off-road mobility and protection against ground-based threats as their primary purpose. As the war in Ukraine has demonstrated, however, the battlefield is rapidly changing.

Software decides future wars. Every aircraft, tank, and communications system runs on embedded software. From targeting to telemetry, code defines capability and determines who wins. Once deployed to production, the software on those systems is open to adversaries’ exploitation. There is no safe harbor. Delay a patch by months, and you haven’t just slipped schedule – you’ve left the warfighter defenseless.

As embedded systems continue to demand higher performance for data-intensive workloads, system designers are under increasing pressure to add compute capability without redesigning the entire platform. Many deployed mission systems were designed at a time when deterministic signal processing and traditional image fusion dominated requirements. While those architectures continue to perform well for legacy workloads, they struggle to support today’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven classification, perception, and decision-support algorithms at operational tempo. XMC [switched mezzanine card] modules can offer a proven, modular approach for scaling compute performance while preserving system flexibility, size, and life cycle stability.

By now, “Ukraine success = UAVs + AI” [artificial intelligence] is not only a meme to American warfighting planners and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) leadership, it’s the principal catalyst for how the U.S. military wants to speed up program and product development.

Defense logistics need a strategic upgrade – from localized 3D printing on the front line to counter-drone defense and expanding defense manufacturing to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) beyond the battlefield.

The SOSA Technical Standard is just that, a technical standard, written by technical people for a technical audience. 

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.

Most defense electronics programs don’t fail because the processor is too slow or the sensor isn’t accurate enough. They fail when the system can’t be packaged, powered, cooled, routed, and serviced inside the real-world envelope it has to live in. When that happens, the interconnect and wireharness is often where the physics shows up first.

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.

WARFARE EVOLUTIONS BLOG. Now is a good time to add some new words to your vocabulary: Launched Effects (LE). The war in Ukraine started in February 2022 and has developed into a new form of warfare with drones. Ukraine has launched as many as 9,000 drones at Russian positions in one day, and Russia has launched as many as 6,400 drones in one day at Ukrainian positions. About 75% of the casualties and equipment destroyed in Ukraine have been attributed to drones. Ukrainian drones have flown as far as 1,500 miles to hit targets inside Russia. Russian drones have traveled as far as 1,000 miles to hit targets inside Ukraine.

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.