Today, with the increasing use of unmanned platforms to host intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance [ISR] sensor applications, system integrators need to ensure that the sensor systems and the critical data they collect and store are protected from falling into the wrong hands.

These days, program managers are trying to figure out how best to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of supply-chain disruption, while protecting their customer’s program schedule and supporting the warfighter.

Industry standards and guidelines such as MOSA, SOSA, CMOSS, SAVE, and FACE are driving the latest developments in enclosures, chassis, and backplane databuses, as small for factors are ready to take center stage.

A key driver for the use of unmanned platforms is their ability to collect data without putting warfighters in harm's way.

Maintaining dominance of the electromagnetic spectrum has never been more critical to mission success. The challenge facing system designers is how to accelerate the transition of new communications and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities from concept to the laboratory and then expedite the deployment of those new capabilities to the warfighter.

To lower the cost and help speed the pace of technology upgrades for C5ISR [command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] systems on Army vehicles, the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Ground Combat Systems (GCS) has issued an Interface Description Document (IDD).

In today’s technology-rich battlefield, new threats emerge and change quickly. Rapidly responding to new threats in this dynamic environment is one of the primary drivers behind the DoD mandate to adopt a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for procurement across the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

Connectivity, networking, SWaP, and thermal management are among the highest priorities of rugged computing designers to support mobile warfighters at the edge.