CMOSS: True MOSA with high readiness level

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September 10, 2024

The C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) originated nearly 10 years ago as a concept within the U.S. Army RDECOM/CERDEC/I2WD office as CERDEC C4ISR/EW [command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance/electronic warfare] Hardware/Software Convergence1. Eight years of subsequent research and development has created a comprehen­sive technology base that is finally being specified as a threshold requirement for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) programs including CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF).

With more than 50 vendors offering CMOSS products, including single-board computers; network switches; software-defined radios (SDRs); position, navigation, and timing (PNT) modules; chassis; and software – and following incorporation into the broader Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard – CMOSS is no longer just an Army experiment. Claims that CMOSS is not ready for use in programs of record are challenged on several fronts. All the technology components, hardware and software, of an integrated CMOSS system are available for acquisition.

Integrated CMOSS systems have been demonstrated in operationally relevant government-controlled environments repeatedly in recent years. Finally, the unique advantages of truly modular, multifunction radio frequency (MFRF) capability are increasingly recognized by defense leadership as necessary to fight and win in modern day conflicts, especially electronic warfare. CMOSS integration and technology readiness levels are such that evaluation in operationally relevant environments is warranted.

CMOSS is a specific and common modular open system approach (MOSA) comprising a suite of standards detailing various physical and logical interface definitions. Based on OpenVPX technology, a CMOSS system is a multicard chassis supporting a specific class of 3U VPX plug-in cards (PICs). Infrastructure such as networking, power, and reference timing are shared either as unique PICs or integrated into the chassis. Payload PICs missionize the system. (Figure 1.)

[Figure 1 ǀ Shown: A typical CMOSS MFRF [multifunction, radio-frequency] system.]

Key elements of CMOSS derive from two objectives. First, the modularity must enable a composable multifunction radio frequency (MFRF) system supporting the tactical communication, electronic warfare, command and related processing needs of military platforms. Second, any PIC must be replaceable with a like PIC from another vendor with little to no unique integration work required. CMOSS 3U slot and module profiles have been adopted by the SOSA Technical Standard, which is administered by The Open Group consortium2. The Modular Open RF Architecture (MORA) standard, also part of SOSA, defines data exchange with and control of SDRs. Vehicle Integration for C5ISR/EW Interoperability standard defines necessary platform, capability discovery, and timing/location services while remaining under the purview of the Army MOSA Management Office. Taken together, these detailed standards ensure the two objectives are met. (Note that references to CMOSS and SOSA are used interchangeably in this discussion.)

CMOSS technology readiness

The SOSA Consortium has more than 180 member companies including government organizations, prime defense companies, and numerous smaller non-traditional defense companies. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ruggedized processing PICs are available from Concurrent, Kontron, Abaco, Curtiss-Wright, Annapolis Micro Systems, and Wolf Advanced Technology featuring, for example, modern Intel, Xilinx, and Nvidia processors including field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), general-purpose processors (GPP), and graphical processing units (GPUs).

Network switches, position/navigation/timing (PNT), and power-supply cards are available from an equally diverse set of vendors with advanced capability such as 100 GbE data rates and assured PNT in GPS-denied conditions. Infrastructure PIC vendors include Herrick Technologies, Curtiss-Wright, Concurrent, Annapolis Micro Systems, and Interface Concept. Chassis are available from Elma, LCR, Pacific Defense, Syracuse Research Inc., and Curtiss-Wright and others, although some are only suitable for development purposes. The chassis have robust chassis-manager solutions that use an Intelligent Platform Management Interface to manage the PICs with tier 1, 2, and 3 capabilities. MIL-STD-810H (environmental) and MIL-STD-461G (electromagnetic interference) evaluations have been accomplished for these components and integrated systems.

A rich ecosystem of software and firmware applications are available to missionize a CMOSS system. Key government software frameworks have been integrated with CMOSS systems including REDHAWK (open-source signals intelligence [SIGINT] environment), PHOTON (GPU-based toolset), Common Framework Environment (SIGINT/EW software framework), and Mounted Mission Command Software. With modern container technology such as Docker and Kubernetes, applications can be reused on any CMOSS SBC PIC. Modern radios such as TSM6 and MN-MIMO are available as well as high-performance SDR-based electronic warfare PICs. More recently, SOSA aligned system managers for configuration, control and health monitoring have become available including task and resource managers, a diverse set of platform interfaces, security services, and intuitive, unified user interfaces. With a broad, mature technology base of hardware and software, CMOSS solutions may be composed for many RF sensing, communication, and analysis needs. The number and caliber of COTS suppliers also indicates a high manufacturing readiness.

CMOSS integration readiness

Integrated CMOSS systems (iCMOSS) have been successfully demonstrated in a broad range of relevant field events (Figure 2). Pacific Defense iCMOSS systems have been tried out at exercises including NETMODX, Cyber Quest, PNTAX, Bold Quest, and Corvus Dawn. A system will be flown at Project Convergence 2025 and iCMOSS systems are slated for evaluation at the National Training Center and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center. In addition to the iCMOSS system field evaluations, the Office of Naval Research in partnership with the Naval Intelligence Warfare Center/Atlantic as well as the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center regularly evaluates iCMOSS systems in field events.

[Figure 2 ǀ Integrated CMOSS systems continue to be successfully demonstrated in a wide range of field events. Photo by Kaitlin Newman/U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center.]

Importantly, iCMOSS systems have participated as part of the Army’s Integrated Tactical Network at these events through validated interfaces with Electronic War­fare Planning Management Tool, JICD 4.2, Open Mission Systems (OMS), Uni­versal Command and Control Inter­face (UCI), JICD ELINT (JEL), ATAK, Cursor on Target, and Position Location Indicators. Additionally, new interfaces are being continually added to iCMOSS systems. During these events – during which a network of CMOSS systems simultaneously provides tactical communication, RF situational awareness, EW effects, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based intelligence analysis – prove that that the CMOSS vision first offered eight years ago is ready to be acquired and deployed in support of the warfighter.

The warfighter needs CMOSS now

The U.S. Congress and the DoD have explicitly endorsed the use of the SOSA approach in future weapons systems. As the Tri-Service Committee, comprising the three service secretaries, noted in a 2019 memorandum, rapidly sharing information across domains and machines requires common standards. This Tri-Service memo called out the SOSA approach explicitly. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in 2021 recommended CMOSS should lead the charge and that the services should combine missions to achieve the benefits of CMOSS. HASC continued to directly promote SOSA in 2022 and 2023. By citing the common and specific standard of CMOSS rather than MOSA more generally, defense and political leadership recognizes that merely calling for MOSA is not sufficient and that MOSA must be the default. The 2024 Senate Armed Services Committee National Defense Authorization Act began recommendations for CMOSS with the statement, “Given the significant maturity of CMOSS technology,” and reaffirmed this position in its 2025 NDAA language.

While size, weight, and power (SWaP) reduction was C5ISR’s motivation eight years ago, the complex and evolving nature of peer adversary threats has highlighted additional transformative warfighter benefits:

• Converged, integrated missions: Synchronized systems and data, SWaP reduction, faster decisions
• Break vendor lock: Plug-and-play across vendors, data rights less important, dramatically faster upgrades
• Re-use for lower cost: Identicality of core, software-defined capability, modularity facilitates COTS
• Operations and maintenance savings: Simplified spares/replacements, obsolescence-proof, common training

The debate over the perceived benefits and risks of requiring CMOSS and SOSA alignment for new weapons systems is lively and valuable, but the technology, integration, and even manufacturing maturity of CMOSS is now such that the benefits and risks can be directly assessed by warfighter evaluation.

Notes

¹ “CERDEC C4ISR/EW Hardware/Software Convergence,” 15 Mar 2016, Ben Peddicord, Chief, Intel Technology and Architecture Branch, CERDEC I2WD.

² The Open Group: https://www.opengroup.org

Dr. Daniel Kilfoyle is currently serving as chief technology officer for Pacific Defense, specializing in non-kinetic warfare defense technology. His responsibilities include leading technology development with an emphasis on CMOSS and SOSA compliant EW products with embedded AI. He holds a doctorate in electrical and ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pacific Defense     https://www.pacific-defense.com/