Military Embedded Systems
Op-Eds
Radar/EW
Integrating warfare models with the kill chain - Blog
April 27, 2018
WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: My previous article covered what sits on top of the kill chain from a strategic perspective. Now, it?s time to integrate the other models: RMAs (revolutions in military affairs), warfare domains (land, sea, air, space, cyberspace, electromagnetic (EM) spectrum), strategic offsets, generations of warfare (1GW through 8GW), and the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act).
Radar/EW
Higher-density RF is on your radar with VITA 67.3 standard - Blog
March 29, 2018
These days, multifunction radars handle functions from surveillance to jamming to fire control, and can track multiple targets in both short- and long-range threats. That means one thing for your active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar design--you need a lot more signal processing power.
Radar/EW
VPX power supplies and EMI filters - Blog
March 22, 2018
Electro-magnetic interference (EMI) filters are critical components in any electrical design, especially in support of military systems requiring partial or complete qualification to MIL-STD-461. EMI filters are designed to reduce high frequency conducted and radiated electronic noise which may create interference with other electrical devices. Embedding EMI filters into the power supply, a potential signal source, is a key feature in any power supply design.
Avionics
MIL-STD-1553: Do we know too much - or too little? - Blog
February 28, 2018
MIL-STD-1553 is a very tried and true, well known, serial interface for the space and aviation industry that was originally developed for critical avionics interfaces that were required to solve the problem of connecting the many sensors and controls around an aircraft and relaying information between them and the crew. Key requirements are that information is transmitted reliably and in a timely manner.
Radar/EW
What sits on top of the kill chain? - Blog
February 27, 2018
WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: In my previous article, I promised that we would integrate the warfare models (RMAs [Revolution in Military Affairs], warfare domains, strategic offsets, the OODA Loop, and generations of warfare) with the kill chain.
Radar/EW
Mezzanine modules benefits & comparisons - Blog
February 27, 2018
Open architecture embedded systems for military/aerospace applications have always relied on mezzanine or daughter cards to provide flexibility and modularity because they are very effective in handling the large variety of I/O functions required. Thanks to widespread adoption of industry standards defining these mezzanine products, carrier boards are able to accept mezzanine boards from a wide range of vendors, each specializing in niche technologies and interfaces.
Comms
Comms
VITA 49: The future of software radio - Blog
January 30, 2018
The use of software radio technology has spread to almost every commercial, consumer, government, industrial, and military platform across the entire radio frequency spectrum during the technology's 25-year lifespan. Innovations in data converter technology, DSP devices, system interconnects, processors, software, design tools, and packaging techniques have improved performance levels and reduced the size, weight, and power consumption of software radio systems. However, the rapid surge in software radio applications spawned ad hoc, proprietary interfaces between the elements in these systems.
Radar/EW
Optical links have many advantages - Blog
January 11, 2018
Advances in optical interface technology boost performance levels to help meet increasing data rates and signal bandwidths. New specifications define how to deploy these optical links within open industry standards, affording improved interoperability and supporting future upgrades. Offering many advantages over traditional copper connections, optical links will boost data rates, improve signal integrity and security, and greatly extend distance between system components.
Radar/EW
Fire and finish: The middle of the kill chain - Blog
December 22, 2017
WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: As stated in previous articles, we need to reduce the complete kill chain down to 10 minutes or less, according to General John Jumper. So, all new systems and weapons must fit inside the kill chain somewhere (find, fix, fire, finish, feedback). And, they must speed things up significantly. We also established that the latest radar, sonar, SIGINT, IMINT, and other sensor systems fit in the find and fix phases. Now, it?s time to take a look at some of the latest developments going into the fire and finish phases.
A.I.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial stupidity (AS) - Blog
October 31, 2017
WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: Isaac Asimov first published the three laws for super-intelligent robots in 1942, and we are ignoring them. Although Department of Defense (DoD) directive 3000.09, dated November 2012, says that a human must always pull the trigger or press the button on our weapons, we violated that when we created the Phalanx CIWS and the Aegis missile defense system, although those weapons are defensive. Now, everybody with a lot of money, or a lot of education, is claiming that Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will take us to a ?singularity,? sometime between 2020 and 2040, where machines become exponentially smarter than humans. At that point, the machines and killer robots will eliminate humans and take over the world.
Comms
Solving the top three challenges in military streaming - Blog
September 28, 2017
Everyday mission critical ops are carried out using some of the most advanced military streaming technology, but there are several challenges to getting it right.
Comms
The future of Ethernet - Blog
September 28, 2017
ETHERNET EVERYWHERE BLOG: In my last blog, I took a look at the history of Ethernet. It was fun to look back at history, however it is more important to look at the future. With Ethernet becoming the ubiquitous connectivity standard for service providers, enterprises, and military applications, we are letting go of proprietary networking technologies and heading directly in to industry standard networking based on Ethernet.
Radar/EW
Find and fix: The front-end of the kill chain - Blog
August 31, 2017
WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG. I can speak to this topic with some level of experience. My old military intelligence unit, Army Security Agency (ASA) was the military arm of the National Security Agency (NSA). Our primary mission was to find, identify, fix, and track every significant military unit on the planet, including both our enemies and our allies. As Sun Tzu is credited with saying (or maybe it was Machiavelli, or Petrarch, or Michael Corleone): "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."
Radar/EW
3D printing and rugged single-board computers - Blog
July 31, 2017
Additive manufacturing, and more specifically metal additive manufacturing (or metal 3D printing), is changing the manufacturing industry by lifting some of the design constraints inherent to traditional processes. Many industries are benefitting from this technology including the defense electronics world, where lattice structures have been applied to single-board computer (SBCs) assemblies to reduce weight while maintain performance and ruggedization requirements.
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KC-46 tanker upgrades to be accelerated by U.S. Air Force, Boeing
May 13, 2026
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Night vision goggles to be supplied to U.S. Army by Elbit America
May 12, 2026
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Advanced T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer cleared for production by U.S. Air Force
May 08, 2026
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Closing the adoption gap in MOSA-driven avionics modernization
May 07, 2026
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How holographic 3D radar technology can improve C-UAS efforts
May 13, 2026
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Dual-band RF transceiver released by Analog Devices
May 13, 2026
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Best In Show awards at XPONENTIAL 2026 show: Excellence in RF & microwave, AI/ML
May 13, 2026
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J-Squared Technologies expanding Ottawa site with 26K sq.ft. of new space for defense manufacturing and testing
May 11, 2026
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Anduril and Booz Allen will join forces to increase security, lethality for SOF teams
May 19, 2026
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PODCAST: Enabling network security in hostile environments (video)
May 18, 2026
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WCore: Transforming appliances into software-defined modems
May 18, 2026
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Continuous monitoring system for coalition tactical networks launched by Curtiss-Wright
April 21, 2026
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SOF Week 2026 Preview | Aviation, Drones & the Future of Special Operations (video)
May 18, 2026
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2026 USSOCOM Capability Demonstration live, May 20 in Tampa
May 18, 2026
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USSOCOM Commander Bradley to keynote SOF Week 2026
May 15, 2026
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Wireless networking technology for autonomous systems to be showcased by Doodle Labs at SOF Week
May 15, 2026