Military Embedded Systems November/December 2023

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John McHale

7

MOSA: Standards, approaches, data rights

University Update

8

The CHIPS Act and new engineers

Special Report

Creative technology for GPS-denied areas

Industry Spotlight

SOSA: Bringing back interoperability? www.MilitaryEmbedded.com

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Nov/Dec 2023 | Volume 19 | Number 8

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P 24 Q and A with Capt. Jarrod Hair, Program Manager for the U.S. Navy’s Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 12

November/December 2023 Volume 19 | Number 8

20

COLUMNS

Editor’s Perspective 7 MOSA: Standards, approaches, data rights

By John McHale

University Update 8 The CHIPS Act and workforce development

By Lisa Daigle

Mil Tech Insider 9 Leveraging high-speed NVMe storage for CSfC encrypted data-at-rest

FEATURES

By Steve Petric

SPECIAL REPORT: Tech for navigating GPS-denied environments

THE LATEST

12 Industry developing creative solutions for GPS-denied environments

By Dan Taylor, Technology Editor

Defense Tech Wire 10 By Dan Taylor

Editor’s Choice Products 42 By Military Embedded Systems Staff Guest Blog 44 Navigating modern warfare: PNT beyond GPS

By Scott Rosebush and Jason Wilden, Cubic Defense

16 How private cellular can streamline military base operations

By Mark DeVol, Cradlepoint

MIL TECH TRENDS: Military power supplies 20 The battery’s role in the evolving military ground vehicle

By Steve Carkner, Stryten Energy

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT:

Connecting with Military Embedded 46 By Military Embedded Systems Staff

Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more 24 Q and A with Capt. Jarrod Hair, Program Manager for the U.S. Navy’s Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209)

By John McHale, Group Editorial Director

WEB RESOURCES

30 MOSA for crewed and uncrewed aviation platforms

By Cynthia Springer, Wind River

Subscribe to the magazine or E-letter Live industry news | Submit new products http://submit.opensystemsmedia.com

34 Can SOSA bring back interoperability?

By Jim Tierney, Atrenne

WHITE PAPERS – Read: https://militaryembedded.com/whitepapers WHITE PAPERS – Submit: http://submit.opensystemsmedia.com

38 A new hope for more secure defense systems?

By Ian Ferguson, Lynx Software Technologies ON THE COVER:

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To unsubscribe, email your name, address, and subscription number as it appears on the label to: subscriptions@opensysmedia.com

The use of lithium batteries in smaller transports including the High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or “Humvee”) is growing. Manufacturers building energy-storage systems for modern military vehicles will need to tap the power of lithium batteries to more effectively power engine starts and silent watch capabilities, make hybrid engines viable, and ensure energy payload weapons function to their full potential. In this photo, U.S. Navy personnel from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) Five conduct off-road driving skills proficiency training in Humvees. U.S. Navy photo/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Chad M. Butler.

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EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

MOSA: standards, approaches, data rights

By John McHale, Editorial Director

John.McHale@opensysmedia.com

Anyone who reads the stories published in our magazines and on our website knows very well that we cover standards and MOSA – the modular open systems approach. I also hope they know the difference between the two: Quite often at trade shows this year folks have told me they need to be MOSA compliant to win contracts or I receive a press release claiming a product is MOSA conformant. The problem: There is no such thing as MOSA compliance or MOSA conformance. That’s because MOSA is not a standard, but rather an approach.

MOSA also happens to be the crux of a mandate from the Department of Defense (DoD) in the famous 2019 Tri-Services memo signed by Army, Navy and Air Force leadership – mandating MOSA in all future technology upgrades and new platforms.

So I get where some of the confusion comes from. When the DoD mandates something, people think they need to comply with it or conform to it. But there is no authority to give someone MOSA conformance or compliance. MOSA is also another acronym that coincidentally rhymes with a well-known standard: SOSA, or the Sensor Open Systems Architecture Technical Standard.

Dr. Alicia Taylor, FACE Program Director, addressed this very topic in her keynote address at the Aerospace Tech Week Americas conference and exhibition, held in Atlanta in November.

Taylor said that although she hears quite often that MOSA is a standard that solutions are required to meet, actually it’s the standards that provide the requirements and MOSA that enables standards. She said that MOSA: › Enables widely accepted, supported, and consensusbased standards set by recognized standards organizations or the marketplace › Supports interoperability, portability, and scalability › Is equally available to the public under fair and reasonable license terms

efforts like the DoD rapid-acquisition offices, Other Transactional Authorities (OTAs), and the Air Force’s AFWERX provide a path for nontraditional defense companies to become defense suppliers.

The investment and enthusiasm behind open architectures and open standards was quite evident at the MOSA Industry summit and Expo in Atlanta in September.

At the show, Capt. Jarrod Hair, U.S. Navy, PMA-209 Program Manager, discussed this point with me (see our interview on page 24): “A big, big area that impressed me was the range of vendors that were participating at the MOSA summit and the vendor size – from very small businesses to medium-size to the high-end players that were coming out to tell us what they’re doing in the MOSA space, and how they can best support.

They’re really looking like they are embracing this effort moving forward. Overall, that was incredibly promising, in addition to the alignment that we’re moving toward with the Tri-Services.

“I see it as actually helping the industrial base by allowing other groups to come in and play into the military-acquisition space,” he continued. “Some of these vendors [in Atlanta] that I was talking to have just recently moved into the defense market.

They started in other areas of the market. This is an opportunity for them to move into defense, which definitely helps us to be able to get more innovation into our systems.”

Capt. Hair and I also discussed the government’s desire to gain greater access to data rights. This was a topic of conversation at both the MOSA event and at Aerospace Tech Week America during the MOSA/SOSA/FACE conference track.

While the military procures hardware, software, and systems it doesn’t necessarily get all the data behind them. Specifically, they don’t get “software/hardware information to be able to do the engineering – the actual in-depth remanufacturing needed to be able to do that,” he told me.

The above-mentioned standards – MOSA. FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, HOST, and the like – are all open architecture approaches that also leverage other open standards like VITA’s OpenVPX.

It’s a point of contention within the industry because, as one military system integrator told me, he has a business to run; sharing their secret sauce – whether it’s an avionics system or single-board computer – puts his business at risk. On this subject, Hair said he hopes “there’s a middle ground there, where we don’t always need to have all of the data.”

MOSA initiatives enable defense systems to leverage the latest commercial technology like FPGAs, graphics processors, and more. In fact, commercial giants like Intel and Nvidia are members of the SOSA Consortium. These initiatives – plus

This month, please don’t miss our Industry Spotlight section, in which our contributors dive deeply into FACE, SOSA, and other open standards and reveal how those standards are finding their way into program requirements.

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November/December 2023

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UNIVERSITY UPDATE

The CHIPS Act and workforce development

By Lisa Daigle, Assistant Managing Editor Louder for those in the back: Workforce development in the U.S. defense and industrial semiconductor industry, always an important issue, is even more critical today as big federal dollars for domestic production come online.

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 – a bipartisan law aimed at kick-starting chip manufacturing in the U.S. – is shaping up to be beneficial for the nation’s economy and, by extension, for the U.S. defense industry. In fact, Barbara McQuiston, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Science and Technology, called the Act’s investment in the 14 technology areas it deemed most important “vital to maintain U.S. national security.”

“As we work on our own science and technology portfolio, we strategize on these investments as our allies and we work together along with industry and domestic partners to prioritize investments in these emerging areas,” McQuiston said in a DoD statement the day after the Act was signed into law.

So, while the new act sounds like a boon for the U.S. economy, remember this: All of these new chipmakers and equipment manufacturers need a workforce, plus the buyers of all these products need engineering talent. A 2020 report from the Semiconductor Industry Association noted that the U.S. manufactures just 12% of the world’s microchips, which was down from 37% in 1990. During those 30 years, hardware and semiconductor education has stayed static or declined.

Anecdotal evidence seems to back this up: At every defense or military trade show the last 10 years, what’s one of the mostdiscussed topics? The predominance of gray hair in the conference venue. For the CHIPS Act to succeed, and for the work spurred by the $52.7 billion U.S. manufacturing portion of the legislation to get underway, companies will need to find skilled engineers and technicians, with training ranging from two-year associate degrees to Ph.D.s.

Engineering schools in the U.S. are now racing to produce that talent. Universities and community colleges are revamping their semiconductor-related programs and entering into strategic partnerships with one another and with industry to train the people needed to run U.S. foundries.

Peter Bermel, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Purdue University, says that there were approximately 20,000 job openings in the semiconductor industry at the end of 2022: “Even if there’s limited growth in this field, you’d need a minimum of 50,000 more hires in the next five years. We need to ramp up our efforts really quickly.”

8 November/December 2023

Bermel is the head of a microelectronics workforce development program called SCALE [Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement], which recently received $19 million in funding from the DoD to strengthen existing efforts in key research areas and add new academic partners.

The SCALE program – funded by the DoD's Trusted and Assured Microelectronics program and managed by Naval Surface Warfare Center/Crane – resides at Purdue. It's a public/private/ academic partnership of 18 universities (so far) and 48 defenseindustry and government partners.

The most recent funding infusion from the DoD is aimed at boosting SCALE's academic and and workforce-related efforts in such areas as radiation-­hardened microelectronics, artificial intelligence (AI), and supply chain. It also will go toward expanding student training, continuing education, and information dissemination. The funding includes $3.8 million for Purdue plus more for SCALE partner institutions Indiana University ($5 million) and Vanderbilt University ($1.6 million).

Several universities that have been added as SCALE partner institutions – including Morgan State University in Baltimore; the University of Tulsa; and the Microelectronics Security Training Center at the University of Florida, Gainesville – already had these subjects in their curricula and can expand these now that they are partners in the program.

“Now, more students interested in these technical areas have more opportunities to get involved and develop in-demand skills and experiences,” Bermel states. “And we add these new partner universities while broadening the participation of current partner universities in SCALE.” Workforce development needs this kind of funding, Bermel says, especially to increase the number of trained people who can work on these technologies. “The expectation from multiple credible studies is there will be major shortages in the microelectronics workforce on a national scale if we do nothing.

Part of the reason is that fewer U.S. students are going into undergraduate and graduate studies in high-tech areas.

“To achieve the goals of the CHIPS and Science Act, we need a deep pool of talented and motivated people who can do the work at the highest standards,” he continues. That pool of students and workers must include both technical expertise and as much diversity as possible “to draw skilled and capable individuals from all parts of the country to meet the need and to benefit communities throughout the United States,” Bermel adds.

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MIL TECH INSIDER

Leveraging high-speed NVMe storage for CSfC encrypted data-at-rest

By Steve Petric

Today’s advanced military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms generate large amounts of highly sensitive data that must be captured and securely stored without impacting performance. System designers must ensure that data-capture systems can handle large amounts of data in as close to real time without interruption or bottlenecks that might otherwise affect performance. When this critical data is stored, it’s considered data-at-rest (DAR).

DAR can be threatened from different vectors, some internal and some external.

For example, in deployed DAR applications (e.g., manned and unmanned vehicles), platforms may be lost during a mission. DAR can also be lost during transport from a deployed vehicle while it travels back and forth to the ground station. Once mission data has been safely downloaded and stored on a network, it is still at risk from malicious actors. To protect ISR DAR from falling into adversarial hands when unattended – in other words, not guarded by an armed soldier – that very important data must be properly and securely encrypted.

The National Security Agency (NSA) offers two approved encryption programs: Type 1 and Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC). The Type 1 program was introduced in 1952 and has supported many sensitive applications and programs ever since. In the early 2000s, the NSA recognized the need for a new approach that would enable system designers to use the latest commercial encryption technology in classified environments; this program became CSfC. The basic premise of CSfC is that when properly configured, a two-layered encryption solution can adequately protect classified data in a wide variety of applications.

The CSfC program is essential to the NSA’s strategy to deliver secure cybersecurity solutions. The program leverages commercial encryption technologies and products to provide much-needed cybersecurity solutions with the latest performance capabilities. Vendors seeking to be listed on the approved CSfC Components List must first build their products in accordance with the applicable Protection Profiles, which are published by National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP). The product must then be successfully submitted for approval using the internationally recognized Common Criteria process. NSA then enters into an agreement with the vendor, which may stipulate other requirements for their particular encryption solution.

The combination of more sensors being deployed on platforms which are then gathering more and more critical data in high-risk environments is helping to drive designers of NAS [network-attached storage] solutions to use the latest network and commercial storage technology.

As a result, more defense platforms are turning to higher speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks. Today, the best data storage media type for use in applications that require the fastest data throughput and large storage capacities are high-speed NVMe [nonvolatile memory express] memory devices. NVMe-based memory reduces latency and increases bandwidth by eliminating storage interface bottlenecks, making it ideal for use in high-speed data storage applications.

One way to take optimal advantage of the increased performance of the NVMe storage devices is to use an NVMe-based in-line hardware encryptor, a physical device that sits between the data source and the NVMe storage destination, so it can encrypt incoming data at near line-rate without adding burdensome overhead. The NVMe protocol www.militaryembedded.com

Figure 1 | The HSR10 variant provides two layers of full disk encryption (FDE) in a single device. Both FDE layers are CSfC-certifiable and fully operational in a single unit. It is designed for storing and protecting critical DAR on deployed air, sea, and ground platforms.

can deliver transmission and storage performance improvements of nearly 50% over SATA (bus)-based alternatives.

An example of a high-speed, high-capacity NAS device is a new variant of the Curtiss-Wright HSR10, a high-speed, high-capacity NAS device that features the industry’s first NVMe in-line hardware full disk encryptor. The compact rugged unit’s dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces eliminate data bottlenecks on sensor-rich platforms while supporting two-layers of encryption to protect up to 32 Tbytes of critical data. The NVMe inline hardware encryptor provides a path to NSA CSfC Components List approval.

Because the HSR10’s hardware encryption technology is NVMe-based, the unit provides near line-rate data throughput, which is significantly faster than SATAbased alternatives. (Figure 1.)

For system designers that require NSA-approved encryption, the NAS device will be submitted for National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) and Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement (CCRA) certification to achieve CSfC Components List approval in 2024.

Steve Petric is Sr. Product Manager at Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions.

Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions www.curtisswrightds.com

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November/December 2023

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DEFENSE TECH WIRE NEWS | TRENDS | DoD SPENDS | CONTRACTS | TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

By Dan Taylor, Technology Editor

Air Force takes delivery of ALIA electric aircraft U.S. Air Force personnel took delivery of the ALIA electric aircraft from electric/aerospace company BETA Technologies, which partnered with the Air Force’s AFWERX directorate to develop one of several zero-emission aircraft for the U.S. military.

According to the account from the Air Force, the advantages of operating a future electric aircraft for the military will include a quiet noise profile, lower cost of operation and maintenance, and Figure 1 | ALIA electric aircraft, delivered to the U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr. the freedom to move away partially from use of traditional fossil fuels. Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force, said of the aircraft delivery: “It is going to transform the way we see air travel in the world, but it is also going to transform the way we have air power in the Air Force.”

AI-enhanced software platform gets AFRL small-biz boost Defense-technology company Reveal Technology won a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant totaling $749,000 for research, development, testing, and evaluation of Reveal’s Farsight platform. Reveal Technology and the AFRL will team up to optimize the Farsight software platform to perform autonomous airfield assessments, using Farsight-generated 3D models overlaid with intelligent analytics.

Reveal Technology describes Farsight as a “receive-only software solution that provides users with actionable intelligence in network-constrained environments” that is able to process sensor-collected imagery at the edge to create 3D models in near-realtime. It is also sensor- and operating system-agnostic so as to integrate seamlessly into U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) legacy, current, and future systems.

C4ISR technology to be installed on Poland’s M1 Abrams tanks The Polish military plans to integrate the SitaWare suite of C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] technology from defense-­ software firm Systematic into its newly acquired M1 Abrams tanks and support vehicles, according to a statement from Systematic.

This technology is intended to equip the 18th Mechanized Division with advanced command and control plus tactical communication systems, providing a boost to Poland’s armored and battlefield engineering operations, the company says. The agreement will see the SitaWare Frontline battle-management system installed across Poland’s fleet of M1A1 and M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams main battle tanks, alongside various support vehicles.

The C4ISR software is described by the company as having an open architecture design that supports a wide range of interoperability standards; this structure is intended to facilitate seamless data exchange and connectivity across command structures.

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Figure 2 | A soldier using a battlefield-management system. Image courtesy Systematic.

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Ukraine defense package from DoD includes C-UAS, air defense Ukraine is set to receive a diverse array of military support, including counter-UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] equipment, National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS, a ground-based air-defense battery), and precision munitions as part of the latest U.S. defense package, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

The assistance, valued at as much as $125 million, will also provide Ukraine with artillery rounds, anti-armor systems, and other equipment. This initiative marks the 50th U.S. security package for Ukraine since August 2021 and includes a variety of small-arms ammunition, demolition munitions, and essential field equipment.

The DoD statement added that in addition to the items from Pentagon inventories, the package is complemented by $300 million from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which funds capabilities directly procured from the defense industry.

Figure 3 | A soldier loads a pallet as part of a security-assistance mission.

Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Marco Gomez.

CAES wins AN/ALQ-99 jammer contract for U.S. Navy The U.S. Navy awarded a contract to mission-critical electronics provider CAES for the production of the AN/ ALQ-99 low band consolidation (LBC) transmitter. The agreement also includes a provision for new special test equipment, following a previous arrangement for the initial preproduction phase of the LBC. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the U.S. Navy cosponsored the contract, which will surpass $55 million in total funding through 2025, if all options are exercised, according to the CAES announcement. The LBC is a significant upgrade to the existing AN/ALQ-99 low band transmitter (LBT), which is a component used in electronic warfare (EW) equipment; the company says that it produced more than 850 transmitters over the past several decades in support of global EA-18G operations.

U.S. Navy signs photonics-manufacturing accord with Mercury Systems Mercury Systems signed an agreement with the U.S. Navy to develop manufacturing capabilities that would enable use of commercial photonics chiplets to accelerate edge processing in defense applications. Under the terms of a $3.9 million, 17-month Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with Naval Surface Warfare Center/Crane Division, Mercury announced that it will be able to access photonics devices developed for the commercial sector by Intel and Ayar Labs.

The company plans to develop miniaturized and ruggedized packages using photonics chiplets – which use optical technology to move data through systems such as data centers at speeds in excess of a terabyte per second – for defense applications to process edge sensor data much faster, enabling faster decision-making in next-generation radar and electronic warfare (EW) systems.

Naval UAS in development participates in NATO exercise Military equipment company Schiebel participated in the REPMUS and Dynamic Messenger 2023 NATO exercises in Portugal, showcasing the maritime capabilities of its CAMCOPTER S-100. The S-100 uncrewed aerial system (UAS), the company states, is designed for antisubmarine warfare (ASW), rapid environmental assessment (REA), mine counter measures (MCM), and the deployment of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) and profiling floats.

Throughout the exercise, the CAMCOPTER S-100 reconfigured for various operations: During the ASW demo, the UAS deployed NATO-standard G-size sonobuoys, while in the MCM domain, the S-100 attempted to detect mine targets using the Thales MCM Mission Management System and RIEGL’s VQ-840-G lidar. The Schiebel team also demonstrated unmanned-unmanned teaming (U-UT), with the S-100 relaying data from an underwater vehicle in a satellitedenied environment. www.militaryembedded.com

Figure 4 | Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 participated in NATO-sponsored maritime exercises.

Image courtesy Schiebel.

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November/December 2023

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SPECIAL REPORT

Tech for navigating GPS-denied environments

As adversaries grow more adept at blocking GPS signals, the U.S. military is turning to advanced soldier-navigation equipment. Technology like soldier-to-soldier wireless communications, body area networking, and battlefield power storage and generation are at the leading edge of this effort. In this photo, Space Force personnel conduct Global Positioning System (GPS) electromagnetic interference training with a GPS electromagnetic attack system at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado. Photo: Ethan Johnson/Space Force.

Industry developing creative solutions for GPS-denied environments

By Dan Taylor In modern warfare, where signal jamming is now as common as bullets and bombs, the ability to navigate without the guiding stars of GPS has become a critical survival skill for today’s soldier.

The modern battlefield has evolved into a complex chessboard where the traditional lines of navigation and communication are constantly being blurred and disrupted.

As adversaries grow more adept at blocking GPS signals, the U.S. military is turning to advanced soldier-navigation equipment. Technology like soldier-to-soldier wireless communications, body area networking, and battlefield power storage and generation are at the leading edge of this effort.

Diverse environments – from the dense canopy of forests to the steel canyons of urban sprawl – demand precision, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of innovation within the stringent constraints of demands for every-smaller size, weight, and power (SWaP).

These innovations are not just about keeping soldiers connected; rather, they are about redefining the very fabric of military strategy and operations in environments where the traditional tools of navigation and timing are rendered obsolete.

The answers lie not only in the hardware but in emerging tech like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML),

12 November/December 2023

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Figure 1 | There are some potential risks in making GPS the centerpiece of governmental PNT efforts, says the president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation.

Navigation and Timing Foundation – an organization that aims to protect critical infrastructure by promoting resilient navigation and timing worldwide – says there are inherent risks in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) strategy when it comes to GPS. “There is a lot of technology available that can make it more difficult to interfere with GPS receivers,” Goward says. “This is important because DoD has said that GPS is going to be the centerpiece of its PNT efforts going forward.”

where the rapid processing of sensor data and sensor fusion on mesh networks can help create accurate positional fixes.

“If soldiers share a common mesh network and a single soldier on the network has generated a reliable position fix, the position of all other soldiers on the network are instantly known,” says Chris Hohne, a principal engineer at Benchmark Secure Technology (Santa Ana, California),. “If a soldier is on the edge of a network and is only visible to one or two nodes, position information will be degraded, and the map will show a large area of uncertainty. However, if more than two nodes are visible, position accuracy will exceed that of GPS.” Strategic and technical obstacles While companies are forging ahead with solutions like these, there are some broader strategic concerns. Dana Goward, president of the Resilient www.militaryembedded.com

The emergence of complementary and alternative systems can help, but the DoD has not provided any direction on the way forward, Goward says, attributing this to a lack of leadership support for alternative systems – a situation that could leave the military at a disadvantage if GPS systems are compromised. (Figure 1.)

These alternative navigation options aim to deal with a wide range of technical challenges facing today’s soldiers. The need for precision and accuracy in position and timing data is driving much of the development, Hohne says, adding that the variability of environments – such as urban areas, forests, or oceans – adds complexity.

“The biggest challenges to developing solutions for GPS-denied environments are the wide range of products that must be supported, variability of the environment in various theaters of operation, and SWaP [size, weight, and power] considerations,” he continues. “Many of our systems have been designed to operate with an embedded GPS receiver that is smaller than a quarter and sips power.”

The technical obstacles are not just about navigation, but also about ensuring that military systems can access data regardless of GPS signal status, says Matt Sieber, director of DoD programs and requirements at Kymeta (Redmond, Washington). The challenge: to balance the precision of A2-PNT solutions with affordability for the DoD, he adds.

Distributed AI and ML have been game-changers, enabling rapid processing of sensor data and facilitating sensor fusion for accurate positional fixes, Hohne notes. These technologies can adapt to different environments, thereby improving navigation accuracy by weighing sensor inputs based on their reliability.

“AI/ML can also facilitate sensor fusion, where data from various sensors are combined to create a more accurate and reliable navigation solution,” he adds.

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Tech for navigating GPS-denied environments

Open standards such as the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard will be key for helping the military develop systems that can tackle the challenge of GPS-denied environments in the future. SOSA enables rapid iteration and evolution of systems, Hohne says, noting that in the context of GPS-denied operations, no single product will suffice – instead, a system of products that can quickly adapt and evolve as threats shift is necessary.

“Open standards like SOSA are critical to this effort because they provide a mechanism for a ‘system’ to rapidly iterate and evolve,” he continues. “SOSA and other open standards break vendor lock and provide a method for the combined intellect of our nation and our allies to develop solutions, drop them into the existing weapon systems, and verify that they solve today’s problem. SOSA systems then allow the existing weapon systems to be upgraded in hours instead of days or weeks.”

Managing power consumption As interesting technologies continue to emerge, power consumption remains one of the more difficult elements to deal with. Hohne says his company’s MicroRadio design is engineered to minimize power consumption through design trades, optimization of embedded software, and management of RF power output.

“MicroRadio was specifically designed to reduce power consumption and extend operation on a small, internal battery,” he says. “Design trades, iteration, and evolution allowed us to shrink the design down to a small group of low power components, optimize embedded software/firmware and algorithms, manage RF power output, and minimize and aggregate background processes.”

For its part, Kymeta’s Osprey u8 HGL system uses holographic beamforming techniques, which require significantly less power than traditional phased-array solutions, often operating on the vehicle’s native DC power without additional equipment, Sieber says. (Figure 2.)

“Osprey u8 HGL differs from many of the traditional phased array solutions coming to market in the near term by employing holographic beamforming techniques using a passive metasurface antenna,” he says. “One of the main benefits of this technology is that it uses 1/2 to 1/10 of the power consumption required by competitor products.”

The future of sensor navigation Improving sensor navigation is a continuous effort, and the industry must design systems that can integrate new sensors and systems as they become available. By designing them to be plug and play, soldiers can take advantage of new technologies such as video sensors,

OpenSystems Media works with industry leaders to develop and publish content that educates our readers.

Direct GPU RDMA Recording using RoCE Ethernet Links

By Critical I/O Graphic processing units (GPUs) are in use widely in military embedded applications. A challenge remains with GPU-based systems, however: How to move large amounts of data efficiently into and out of the GPU-based processing system. In this white paper, get the details on an approach toward moving data directly in and out of GPU memory to NVMe storage over 25 Gb Ethernet links, using RDMA-capable NICs at aggregate rates of over 6 GB/sec. Also covered: Measured data rates from an RDMA demonstration.

Read this white paper: https://tinyurl.com/27vn7w7p 14 November/December 2023

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Read more white papers: https://militaryembedded.com/whitepapers www.militaryembedded.com

accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers almost immediately.

“New sensors and systems can be integrated to the soldier by simply attaching them to the vest, placing them in a pocket, or wearing them as an article of clothing,” Hohne says.

Hohne says he envisions a future where distributed AI/ML will be the cornerstone and regards the evolution of data collection, storage, and distribution as critical to developing robust tacticaledge military models.

The growing number of low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites is a big benefit to the sensor-­ navigation industry, Sieber says. He predicts that the ability to use noncooperative or nonstandard signals from these satellites for precise location and navigation services, combined with an alternate solution for precise time, will significantly reduce the DoD’s reliance on GPS.

Figure 2 | The Osprey u8 HGL on-the-move terminal is designed to work irrespective of GPS signal availability.

a pace inconceivable just a few years ago,” Hohne asserts. “There are several companies pursuing efforts to use non-cooperative signals of interest from GEO, LEO, and MEO satellites to determine a precise location and navigation services.”

Goward agrees that these satellites could be critical in the future: “If there is a leader among all the systems, it is probably PNT from low Earth orbit satellites: better than GPS, more powerful signal, potentially even more accurate,” he says.

De ce Co m mi be ng r2 02 3

However, he cautions that while LEO satellites offer signal diversity and coding advantages, they share common failure modes with traditional GPS due to their very nature as satellites. This reality means that designers must consider the difficulty in preempting and preventing disruptions: “Fundamentally, people just have a hard time “The number of low and medium Earth getting ahead of the 4:55 bangPMand preventing bad things from happening.” MES orbit satellites in space is blossoming at SEA-23045 Sealevel R1 Rugged Print Ad 1102.pdf 1 11/2/23

www.militaryembedded.com

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Tech for navigating GPS-denied environments

A 5G tower is prepared for a demo of a private 5G network at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC)/29 Palms (California). U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Ryan Kennelly.

How private cellular can streamline military base operations

By Mark DeVol 5G, the fifth generation of wireless communication technology, promises faster data speeds, plus 5G could also revolutionize the accuracy of location services, including GPS. The key lies in the higher frequency bands that 5G operates on, known as millimeter waves. These waves have a shorter range but higher capacity, enabling more precise location tracking. Currently, 4G LTE networks provide location accuracy to within 10 to 500 meters, depending on the density of cell towers. In contrast, 5G technology can potentially pinpoint a device’s location to within a meter, thanks to its higher frequency bands and advanced beamforming technology. Moreover, 5G networks are designed to support a vast number of devices within a small area. This high device density can contribute to improved location accuracy. With more devices connected in a given area, the network can triangulate a device’s position more accurately. This is particularly beneficial in dense or urban areas, where buildings often interfere with GPS signals, leading to inaccuracies.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) continues to invest in the growing use of 5G, most recently through initiatives such as a 5G Challenge and even within the last few years with its “5G to Future-G” initiative. More specifically, the DoD has shown interest in how private 5G, and private cellular in general, can meet military needs. The DoD has recently been known as the organization

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that spends the most on purchases related to private 5G. As the DoD continues its push to leverage private 5G throughout the U.S. military, there exists an opportunity to learn some of the ways in which private 5G and private cellular can provide alternative methods of communication that are flexible and secure to many bases throughout the military.

A dependable network At each base of operations, whether foreign or domestic, military personnel need a dependable network for daily communication and day-to-day tasks. For example, upon initial entry into a location, soldiers set up a foreign base of operations (FOB) or

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a tactical operations center. Commonly, these bases are meant to be temporary.

However, there are instances where military personnel remain in the location for more than 30 days. In these cases, the personnel at the base need a durable network that can last as long as the soldiers remain in the area.

Personnel from Warner Robins Air Force base in Georgia recently investigated this scenario to see how they could leverage private cellular to create that dependable, resilient network. They discovered that a private cellular network can connect with many of the wide area network (WAN) connections in place – such as the satellite links commonly used in the Air Force – while providing both primary and failover connectivity that is necessary for mission-critical communications.

The failover capabilities are especially important: With a private cellular network, even if the private network loses connectivity for outside communications, soldiers can still use the private network as a local area network to send communications on base.

Streamlining data sharing Private cellular can also open possibilities that will streamline data sharing within a base. Let’s take a look at the Air Force, for example. The Air Force is currently looking to modernize technology in its fleets through its Flight Line of the Future initiative. In alignment with that initiative, this branch uses a self-­developed program called eTools/ eTools Lite to upload blueprints or plans for repairs to aircrafts. Historically, aircraft mechanics were restricted to downloading those blueprints to a device at the base – where they had access to connectivity – then taking those plans to the aircraft. Unfortunately, if there was an update in the plan or there was information missing, the mechanic would have to go back to the hangar, download new blueprints, and then return to the aircraft. Now, bases use commercial cellular to get rid of this time-consuming step in the process.

With a private cellular network, however, the base would be able to put up a dedicated network that extends to where the www.militaryembedded.com

Figure 1 | Personnel at Eglin Air Force Base (Florida) can use scanners to manage the warehouse inventory and streamline storage procedures. U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.

aircraft are at any point in time. This move would enable tablets to access the blueprints without leaving the aircraft. Also, there’s an added layer of security and control with the private network, as IT or cybersecurity personnel would be able to dictate who or which devices were able to access those blueprints.

The data-sharing benefits that private 5G or LTE provide can also extend to vessels approaching a Navy or Marine base. If Navy or Marine bases established a private 5G network that extended past the shore into nearby waters, incoming vessels could connect to the network and begin sharing data once the base is within sight of the vessel. Implementing such a littoral network would streamline ship-to-shore communications without compromising sensitive information.

Private 5G or LTE can also help streamline military warehouse operations and logistics. Just like a warehouse in a commercial setting, warehouses on a base of operations have IoT devices – such as cameras or sensors – that need to share data on movement and maintenance. A private network could become especially important as the military tracks high-value assets, such as missiles or important machinery.

With private 5G or LTE, personnel at the warehouse would be able to securely share updates as those assets come into a base or leave a base of operations. (Figure 1.)

Choosing the right option While there are many use cases that demonstrate the benefits of private cellular for military bases – and government funding to subsidize private cellular implementation – it’s important for military personnel to consider at least seven things to choose the right private cellular option for their base: › Clearly identify the problems to solve: It’s important to first ask questions about specific base needs. Do personnel require more flexibility for certain tasks? Do areas of the base suffer from unreliable connectivity? Do infrastructure limitations impede connectivity for IoT devices? Understanding operational barriers is important before deploying a private cellular network. › Gather information about your environment: The physical location of the base is a key consideration before implementing a cellular network. This includes

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Tech for navigating GPS-denied environments

analysis of coverage needs, as well as technical requirements for devices and applications based upon the operational hurdles that personnel at the base are trying to solve. › Establish key performance indicators (KPIs): KPIs can include network uptime, personnel hours, data expenditures. It’s important to revisit these regularly in case adjustments to the private cellular network become necessary. › Investigate infrastructure providers: As military personnel consider their operational problems and analyze their physical location, it will be important to look specifically at the services from potential private cellular providers and decide if those services can solve specific operational needs. › Design a proof of concept: Military personnel should combine infrastructure solutions and anchor use cases to design a proof of concept that is scalable, future-proof, and able to produce results that align with their KPIs.

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› Conduct a site survey: It’s a good idea to use radio frequency (RF) planning tools to determine the placement of cellular access points and map out private cellular network architecture. Make sure to accom­ modate for the location of walls and windows, signal obstructions, and environmental challenges. › Get ready to grow: After building the private network, users should conduct a postdeployment verification to test its performance and ensure the network performance is on track to achieve KPIs. If it’s satisfactory, they can then plan for wider deployment and expansion.

Controlling connectivity One could argue the most important value from private cellular networks is the control they give to the organizations that use them. Operators have complete say in network traffic and network access. However, as the saying goes, “with more power comes more responsibility.” Often, managing and establishing that private network comes with complexities, and at certain bases this could present somewhat of a hurdle. It’s not uncommon for certain military personnel to be responsible for setting up a network even though their expertise lies elsewhere. Military personnel interested in using the funding from the DoD to establish private 5G networks must therefore craft an installation plan that makes both curating and maintaining a private network as simple as possible.

With the right private 5G solution, setting up a network could take minutes without compromising the control, flexibility, and security necessary to streamline operations at any military base. MES Mark DeVol is the Federal Area Vice President for Cradlepoint and also has direct sales responsibility for the U.S. Department of Defense. For three decades Mark has worked with the DoD, federal civilian departments, state and local agencies, wireless and cable operators, educational institutions, and utility companies.

Cradlepoint • www.cradlepoint.com

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MIL TECH TRENDS

Military power supplies

Marines operate an M240B machine gun atop a Humvee (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle/HMMWV) during a mission rehearsal exercise at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The use of lithium batteries in smaller transports including the HMMV is growing. Photo: Marine Corps Cpl. James Stanfield.

The battery’s role in the evolving military ground vehicle

By Steve Carkner Military vehicles have rapidly evolved over the last few decades, equipped with more technology than ever for safer, more capable operations – requiring more power than ever. Manufacturers building energy-storage systems for modern military vehicles will need to tap the power of lithium batteries to more effectively power engine starts and silent watch capabilities, make hybrid engines viable, and ensure energy payload weapons function to their full potential.

Much like consumer vehicles, military vehicles have for decades relied on lead batteries for their most basic functions.

Unlike most consumer vehicles, military vehicles produced in the 1970s and 1980s are still on the road today, and they still rely on lead batteries because these batteries are highly reliable – and they’re unlikely to go anywhere soon.

The power demands of these older vehicles were low, mostly just engine starts,

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but upgrading these older vehicles may require increasing the existing energy storage, or possibly installing a second energy source that is dedicated to the new equipment.

As military vehicles have grown more complex, however, the battery’s role has also evolved, and innovative battery technologies present a variety of options for many applications. Today, energy is a resource that can be managed in real time and determines combat capabilities. In fact, it’s more appropriate to refer to modern-day batteries – many of which are often added to military vehicles in addition to the engine-start battery – as energy-storage systems. These next-generation batteries are networked in the vehicle and across the battlefield. They become part of the battlemanagement system and the “Internet of Battlefield Things.”

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

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Figure 1 | Modern-day batteries used in military vehicles are more appropriately called “energy-storage systems.” Stryten image.

45 minutes without running the risk of deep cycle degradation issues or not leaving enough energy in the battery to start the engine.

Longer duration needs like silent watch applications regularly demand 80% or more of a battery’s capacity, which typically rules out lead batteries. Silent watch missions for modern military vehicles can require five times the electronic systems – including sensors, advanced communication systems, active-protection systems, electric power, and specialized battlefield systems – compared to older vehicles.

In the field, vehicles need batteries capable of running longer durations, while also delivering massive energy when necessary. The success or failure of a mission can depend on the success or failure of the battery. Let’s take a closer look at different options for vehicle energy sources and determine which are best for critical vehicle functions today, including engine starts, silent watch, hybrid vehicles, and energy payload.

(Figure 1.)

Engine starts and silent watch Given the energy needs of today’s military ground vehicles, current 6T leadbattery technology [6T is a standardized form factor] is still used for engine starts.

However, it will fall short of powering longer duration needs, such as critical electronic and cyberwarfare systems.

A 50-amp load, still light by most military vehicle standards, may only be supported by a lead battery for 30 to www.militaryembedded.com

Even if duration wasn’t an issue, lead batteries still pose operational challenges: Draining a lead battery below 50% state of charge (SOC) significantly diminishes the battery’s life, and because lead batteries typically do not have built-in battery monitors, monitoring the SOC and general health of a battery becomes nearly impossible in the field.

Knowing all of this, what strategies can the military deploy for powering silent watch missions? Most solutions come with significant downsides: › Practicing tactical idling, or leaving the vehicle running most of the time, using lead battery for short bursts. This is inefficient and loud, plus it creates dangerous heat signatures that can be used to target the vehicle. › Installing an on-board generator – once again, these are loud, can be used by an adversary for targeting, and are prone to maintenance issues. › Installing fuel cells – these still require fuel, have a heat signature, and are sensitive to contaminants and abuse in harsh military environments.

Ultimately, lithium batteries look to be the leading option for both engine starts, and for longer duration needs such as silent watch. Moreover, lithium battery systems are “smart.” With a battery management system (BMS), SOC can be easily monitored to avoid loss of power in the field, as the batteries allow accurate coulomb [unit of electric charge] counting with a capacity and health measurement error of 2% or less.

In addition, they have longer life than a lead battery, can double or even triple the time an engine can remain off, and have no heat signature.

More vehicle developers will likely look for dual sets of lithium batteries to power military vehicles. One set will be dedicated to engine starting with lower energy

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MIL TECH TRENDS

Military power supplies

storage capacity and moderate instantaneous power, while the other set will power silent watch electronics with high storage capacity, but not necessarily high instantaneous power.

While the initial rollout of lithium batteries for silent watch is designed for larger vehicles, interest is growing for use in smaller transports like Humvees and light tactical vehicles. (Figure 2.)

Hybrid military vehicles Silent watch also poses a challenge for diesel vehicles. Drivers want to move quickly for most of their journey to get close to the front lines and avoid detection once they get there. Diesel engines are not only loud, but they also create heat signatures detectable to the enemy.

Instead, there is a need for a hybrid engine, one powered by both electricity and fossil fuels, that enables quieter movement and a lower heat signature.

Using a hybrid engine, a vehicle could make the first part of the journey using fuel and the last half mile using electricity for optimal stealth.

Figure 2 | The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) truck is used by the U.S. military for troop transportation; this MRAP is used by the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Hybrid vehicle batteries generally are going to be medium-capacity, with the ability to be charged and recharged many times. Much like engine starts and silent watch on larger military vehicles, the properties of a lithium battery make it a good option to power hybrid engines.

NDR374

4-Channel 3U VPX Digital Tuner The NDR374 digital tuner is an 4-channel, superheterodyne Wideband Digital Tuner that covers RF signals from 2 MHz to 8 GHz. It is a rugged 3U conduction cooled VPX module, per VITA 46/48/65/67. The NDR374 is designed as a 3U open architecture version of the existing NDR358 tuner to include RF performance, command set and multiple DSP-based modes of operation (the NDR374 enables efficient system integration for existing NDR358 users). The tuner supports both independent and phase coherent tuning and two units can support 8-Channel coherent operation.

Integrated high dynamic range 16-bit Analog-to-Digital converters (ADC’s) are utilized to digitize an 125 MHz wide IF at 368 Msps sample rate.

FEATURES • 4 Channel 3U VPX Digital Tuner • SOSA & MORA Aligned • 2 MHz to 8000 MHz Frequency Range • 125 MHz BW • Independent and Phase Coherent Tuning • Support for Multi-module Coherent Operation • DSP Modes of Operation • Coherent Mode • Fast Scan Mode • ALT_RX1 Mode • 256M_Real Mode

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MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

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Coming up: energy payload weapons Future combat systems may rely on nonkinetic directed-energy weapons to counter uncrewed aerial and hypersonic missile threats. More responsive and powerful lasers depend on the capacity and instantaneous power of next-generation energy-storage systems. This technology can quickly eliminate an enemy drone or disable an enemy vehicle with a small, focused strike on the vehicle’s core components, reducing danger while also reducing casualties.

High-rate energy storage-systems, often 100 C and greater (charge rates of 100 or greater than the battery energy capacity), are used to power energypayload weapons. 100 C is a rate 50 times faster than most batteries available today. For context, the amount of energy being delivered in these exceptionally high-rate applications could power 20 homes, but the energy used in a weapon may only flow for a few seconds at a time.

While the exact types of energy-storage systems used to power these systems remain closely guarded, many in the industry are experimenting with lithium batteries, super capacitor banks, or a combination of the two.

Cutting-edge vehicles require cutting-edge power Military vehicles have long been full of innovative technologies battling for their share of available power, but greater demands for energy capacity have pushed traditional batteries to their limit. Whether for moving troops safely and quietly, or ensuring weapon effectiveness, militaries have to rethink their energy strategies on the battlefield.

Lithium batteries could be part of the solution, as they can store more energy and deliver it over long periods of time, but they are also capable of concentrating it and emitting it quickly when under attack. MES Steve Carkner is director of technology & business strategy at Stryten Energy. He has more than 30 years of engineering experience and is an inventor on dozen of patents. Prior to joining Stryten Energy, Steve served as head of innovation at Galvion, head of innovation at Revision Military; he was also founder and CTO at Panacis Inc. and served as director of product development at Blackberry. He holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Queen’s University in Ontario.

Stryten Energy https://www.stryten.com/

NDR585

3U OpenVPX Wideband Microwave Tuner The NDR585 is a wideband, 4 channel, 3U OpenVPX microwave tuner that provides frequency coverage from 20 MHz to 18 GHz. The NDR585’s industry leading channel density minimizes system level SWaP. Each of the 4 channels provides a 1 GHz analog IF output with a 500 MHz instantaneous bandwidth. The channels can tune both independently and phase coherently and multiple NDR585 units can be synchronized for phase coherent operation.

The NDR585 incorporates a super-heterodyne RF conversion architecture to minimize spurious products and yield high dynamic range performance.

FEATURES • 4 Channel 3U VPX Microwave Tuner • SOSA & MORA Aligned • 20 MHz to 18 GHz Frequency Range • 1 GHz IF Output • 500 MHz BW • Independent and Phase Coherent Tuning • Support for Multi-module Coherent Opertion • Coming Soon!

• 100 Gigabit Ethernet Digital IF • Output2 GHz BW

www.militaryembedded.com

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November/December 2023

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more

Jarrod Hair U.S. Navy, PMA-209 Program Manager

NAVAIR leveraging MOSA in avionics systems

By John McHale, Group Editorial Director The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) was an early adopter and supporter of the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard and is at the forefront of open architecture development and leveraging modular open systems approach strategies (MOSA) in Navy avionics applications. During the MOSA Summit & Expo I sat down with Capt. Jarrod Hair, U.S. Navy, PMA-209 Program Manager, where we covered how NAVAIR leverages MOSA initiatives like FACE, the challenges with data rights, and how the defense community – government and industry – is embracing MOSA. Along those lines, at the NAVAIR booth at the expo, Capt. Hair hosted keynote speaker Hon. Nickolas Guertin, where he led an interactive discussion elaborating on current MOSA efforts in his role as Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. Guertin is a White House nominee for Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition.

Edited excerpts of the interview are below.

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MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

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MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: Please tell me about your role as Program Manager for the U.S. Navy’s Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209).

HAIR: I started flying helicopters. First, the SH-60B, then flight test, and then went back out to the Fleet to fly the MH-60R. I gained a great deal of experience actually using NAVAIR [Naval Air Systems Command] systems. The test time was a great bit of insight into how we develop and look at some of those systems. [It] was awesome going back out to the fleet with that experience. After my department-head tour, I wanted to get back into that side of the Navy and how we develop, acquire, and field systems. So that brought me back into NAVAIR and I’ve been in various program offices here since 2015.

Most recently, I was in the Pentagon under ASN RDA [Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)] staff, which gave me good insight across the portfolio for naval aviation systems. [After that], I was fortunate enough to get picked up for PMA-209, which the Air Combat Electronics program office. We cover a very broad spectrum of systems that go across naval aviation platforms.

We also have systems in other services [such as] the Air Force, and domestic federal agencies as well. Our systems are primarily focused around the flight school basics of “aviate, navigate, communicate.” For the “aviate” part we have safety of flight systems such as TAWS [Terrain Awareness Warning System]. For “navigate” we have Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN), Required Navigation Performance Area Navigation (RNP RNAV), and Tactical Air Moving Map Capability (TAMMAC), and for “communicate” one of the big ones is the ARC 210 radio.

One of the newer areas we are working is the DI MANGL, which stands for Digital Interface (DI) MAGTF Air Network Gateway Link (MANGL). MAGTF stands for Marine Air Ground Task Force.

DI MANGL is a situational-awareness enhancer for the Marine Corps using a tablet device and radios that connect the user to a tablet device and to other users in the network.

“Those [high-quality equipment, highquality gear] are items that we can reach better with a MOSAtype solution because that enables us to both compete those to get best-of-breed [solutions] for fielding the equipment and allow us to do that integration and fielding faster.”

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: Is that like a JADC2 [Joint All-Domain Command and Control] concept?

HAIR: It’s similar in concept, but it’s not directly connected. [With MANGL] we take different networks and mesh those together with the Gateway link. Then we transmit that to a tablet so the Marines in the air and on the ground can have the same overall situational awareness.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: How does NAVAIR work with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard and when did you adopt it?

HAIR: PMA 209 was an early adopter [of] FACE. Since then, we’ve been working on other open architectures. FACE was incubated in NAVAIR and kicked off in 2010 – which is when the FACE Consortium took it over.

Since adoption, we have ventured more into the open architecture side. One of our efforts within PMA 209 is for the mission computer alternative (MCA), which is a family of government-­ developed organic mission computers that are open architecture [where] we own all the data rights and we can size the capabilities to the needs of platforms that we work with.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: The FACE Technical Standard has provisions for safetycertification standards such as DO-178C. How does NAVAIR leverage safety-certification standards like DO-178C and DO-254 in their avionics systems? Do you require it?

HAIR: The technical warrant holders at NAVAIR System Safety and Airworthiness don’t strictly require DO-178 or DO-254, as they use the Military Standard (MIL-STD) 882 Level of Rigor processes to establish design assurance for software and complex electronic hardware. www.militaryembedded.com

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT However, because the civil and military standards have so much in common, they can, and do, leverage DO-178/254 certifications and artifacts, in part or whole, to satisfy airworthiness requirements for avionics systems. That being said, at this time we at PMA-209 are still working with the technical warrant holders on finding ways to reap the benefits of the FACE Technical Standards for the applicable safety-certification standards.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: I heard the data-rights part discussed at the MOSA [modular open systems approach] Summit and Expo in Atlanta. What does that mean from a government and industry perspective? Why is that so important?

HAIR: With that specifically? The normal model in defense acquisition is the private companies develop systems, they develop equipment, we give our requirements, and they develop items to meet our requirements. We buy the parts, the systems, but we don’t necessarily get all of the data behind those such as the software/hardware information to be able to do the engineering – the actual in-depth remanufacturing needed to be able to do that.

[Data rights] is a piece that I’m learning more about in my role here at PMA-209. What I’d like to evaluate with data rights is where the right level is, as I also understand industry perspective – wanting to keep their proprietary information to themselves.

But we need enough information to be able to fully integrate the systems and then recompete for upgrades to address obsolescence as necessary. When leveraging open architectures, if we can get the information we need at the right interface level, we can compete that box or recompete it. Maybe there’s a middle ground there, where we don’t always need to have all of the data.

Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: From your perspective as a Navy pilot and an engineer: Why are most strategies important and what benefits do those things like FACE and SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] bring to the warfighter?

HAIR: From the warfighter, aircrew-type perspective, they don’t see whether something is developed using MOSA or other strategies. But what’s important to the warfighter is to be able to have highquality equipment, high-quality gear that keeps up the pace of technology [insertion] that we need, so the warfighter gets it in a timeline that’s relevant.

Those are items that we can reach better with a MOSA-type solution because that enables us to both compete those to get best-of-breed [solutions] for fielding the equipment and allow us to do that integration and fielding faster.

Beyond that, we’re going to continue the MOSA work PMA 209 has been doing

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well before we got there, which is working with our counterparts in the Army and the Air Force. We’re reaching out to industry and being a part of the overall MOSA effort moving forward so that we can collaborate within the tri-services.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: There was a lot of enthusiasm at the MOSA Summit and Expo. But there are still MOSA doubters or skeptics in the defense world. During a keynote I hosted with David Tremper earlier this year at our MOSA Virtual Summit, he said that metrics are still needed to help DoD [U.S. Department of Defense] leaders make the case against naysayers. How do you convince most skeptics about the value of this approach?

HAIR: I do agree that it is good to have relevant metrics. I would love to have something that is a clear metric that shows schedule gains and cost benefits from using MOSA right now, because of the pace of developing these large defense acquisition systems. That data will take a while to come in. We need to be able to actually implement some of these strategies to get that data.

value of forums like this, where we get the other services together.

So far, I’ve had great interactions with counterparts of mine in the Army and the Air Force, with plenty of follow-on conversations scheduled. [This is important] because there can be a tendency for folks to recreate the wheel and then to have the same efforts within multiple silos, which is obviously not a good use of our resources. MOSA allows us – when we have the standard set right – to compete and get products that were intended for the Air Force, intended

for the Army, and use those across the board. We also get additional gains of generally increased collaboration within the acquisition fields within the three services.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: What challenges remain for MOSA in aviation programs?

HAIR: I’d say there are a couple of areas: One of them is making sure that we’ve got personnel trained from the contract side, the engineering side, and then with engineering the verification side of

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As far as convincing naysayers or skeptics on this, it’s why we’ve got the experts in PMA 209. They are very familiar with the details of how to support other program offices and getting the MOSA requirements on contract, understanding the engineering detail, understanding the standards, and then working with the programs to be able to show the benefits of increasing competition and making integration quicker and easier.

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Outside of the metrics, which will take some time, I think it’s really just hands-on and showing the other program officers, especially on the naval aviation side, how we can help them with MOSA initiatives and the MOSA approach.

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MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: What about communications across the services to push MOSA so there is less duplication of effort?

HAIR: You’re absolutely correct. I think that outside of just MOSA there is big www.militaryembedded.com

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Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT MOSA. Being able to set everything up to make that happen is definitely a challenge that we’re [focusing on now].

Another challenge aligned with that is making sure that the people that are acquiring these systems understand the various standards out there and understand where it’s applicable, where they can apply those standards to best use, which ones may or may not be in conflict, and which ones are going to get them the best gain overall in opening up their system to the right vendors. We need to be able to have the right commonalities within the Navy and other services.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: How is PMA 209 leveraging AI [artificial intelligence] solutions?

HAIR: As of right now, nothing specifically but we – the top of my team – are looking to see what solutions may be out there. I haven’t seen anything yet that really jumps out at me [on the avionics side]. But I’m open to looking at different products.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: What was the buzz of the MOSA event in Atlanta? What trends or developments did you see that impressed you?

HAIR: A big, big area that impressed me was the range of vendors that were participating at the MOSA summit and the vendor size – from very small businesses to medium-size to the high-end players that were coming out to tell us what they’re doing in the MOSA space, and how they can best support. They’re really looking like that they are embracing this effort moving forward. Overall, that was incredibly promising, in addition to the alignment that we’re moving toward with the tri-services.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: Does MOSA open up the defense market for companies new to working with DoD programs?

HAIR: Absolutely. I think part of that is making sure that we’re listening to industry, talking to industry. And I see it as actually helping the industrial base by allowing other groups to come in and play into the military-acquisition space.

Some of these vendors [in Atlanta] that I was talking to have just recently moved into the defense market. They started in other areas of the market.

This is an opportunity for them to move into defense, which definitely helps us to be able to get more innovation into our systems.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS: In your more than two decades as a pilot and as an engineer, what has been the most significant technology game-changer for military aviation systems during that time?

HAIR: For areas related to me, it is the increased communication links and unmanned systems – and you can’t have the unmanned systems [component] without increasing the communication links.

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During my flying time, it was going from steam gauges – circular gauges on the SH 60B, which was sweet at the time – to the MH-60R and jumping on Link 16 and doing SATCOM [satellite communications] and then adding other communication networks. That was a huge change. We were able to coordinate with a significantly larger number of units at the same time. Instead of just talking to one or two other aircraft or one or two other ships, we could be coordinating operations with three or four ships and [could fly] in groups of up to a dozen or more helicopters.

So that was huge. Now moving in UAS [uncrewed aerial system] space, we’re using those links and increasing those communication links to be able to control and to work with our unmanned systems. That’s the most significant change since I’ve joined the military and started flying. MES www.militaryembedded.com

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

MOSA for crewed and uncrewed aviation platforms

By Cynthia Springer As the aviation industry evolves, the modular open systems approach (MOSA) is expected to play a significant role in the development of innovative and safe avionics systems that enable no-fail operations, whether crewed or uncrewed.

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According to an avionics market report from Fortune Business Insights, the global avionics market is projected to reach $75.81 billion by 2027, at a combined annual growth rate [CAGR] of 9.25% from 2019 to 2027, driven by the increasing demand for advanced systems in modern aircraft.

Where security, safety, and reliability are paramount, avionics systems professionals are looking to realize the digital future with software-defined, missioncritical intelligent systems. The modular open systems approach (MOSA) and related standards and solutions are all playing critical roles in enabling next generation capabilities in avionics.

MOSA, in particular, benefits the avionics space in both military and civilian applications, as it enables faster development cycles, reduced costs, increased flexibility, and improved safety.

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MOSA enables new technologies Avionics-systems professionals face the challenge of keeping pace with rapid technological evolution while balancing complex requirements with limited budgets. In today’s digitally defined landscape, the traditional way of designing avionics systems as closed systems, with hardware and software tightly integrated and designed specifically for a particular aircraft, is proving unsustainable.

MOSA can help meet this demand by enabling the integration of new technologies, reducing development costs, and improving performance and reliability.

A MOSA design focuses on developing open and interoperable systems using modular, independent components that can be easily modified, replaced, or upgraded. With tools available at the modeling level, these approaches can be used in crewed and uncrewed aviation.

individual modules that can be swapped in and out as needed. Complexity management is also addressed, since each module is designed to operate independently, which simplifies the overall system design. IMA also uses standard interfaces, which makes it easier to integrate new modules with existing systems.

MOSA and FACE conformance To provide a common framework for integrating different avionics systems, standards such as the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Reference Architecture have emerged. FACE is a collaboration between government and industry that created a software standard to provide an open systems approach for military aviation solutions, delivering software-defined capabilities to the end user faster and more affordably.

MOSA: A competitive game-changer MOSA is not itself a standard but rather a strategy for component acquisition and system design that prioritizes use of open standards-based technologies.

The goal is systems that are flexible, competitive, and sustainable over their entire life cycle.

MOSA provides a scalable path for building avionics systems, leading to increased efficiency. Cost-effectiveness is another advantage, as each system can be designed using standard components already available on the market.

This approach eliminates the need for costly bespoke designs and ensures that components can be purchased in bulk from competitive vendors and used across multiple aircraft types, both military and commercial.

Utilizing MOSA with IMA In complex environments, utilizing MOSA along with other technologies, such as integrated modular avionics (IMA), can further enable flexibility, affordability, and enhanced capabilities. IMA simplifies avionics software development by supporting an integrated architecture of application software that is portable across common hardware modules.

Avionics systems can be designed as www.militaryembedded.com

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Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT The FACE architecture consists of several components, including a common operating environment (COE), a portable component framework (PCF), and a data model that defines how components interact with each other. FACE supports MOSA because it backs the IMA concept. (Figure 1.)

Addressing different safety-criticality levels MOSA enables the development of high-performance systems that can support different safety-criticality levels.

Safety-critical systems are defined as systems whose failure could result in injury or loss of life, damage to property, or damage to the environment. Since safety is paramount in avionics, MOSA is useful because it helps mitigate risk by enabling the development of robust, reliable, and flexible systems. To achieve the full benefits of MOSA, it is essential to verify and validate all components against the appropriate safety standards. Meeting standards such as DO-178C for software,

DO-254 for hardware, and DO-297 for system architecture in airborne systems is essential for achieving certification and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Ensuring safety, mitigating risk Several critical factors must be considered when implementing MOSA in aviation – one of the most important being airworthiness. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines airworthiness as the measure of an aircraft’s suitability for safe flight.

Figure 1 | Capabilities developed for one FACE [Future Airborne Capability Environment] operating system segment can be reused across multiple aircraft platforms. Graphic: U.S. Army via The Open Group.

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While the FACE standard is often associated with airworthiness, it is important to note that the FACE standard does not mandate or specify a particular way of achieving airworthiness. Instead, it provides guidelines to build a safety-critical piece of avionics that can be adapted to fit different airworthiness requirements. When building avionics systems using MOSA, it is essential that the system’s features and attributes adhere to the safety profile, which defines the system’s characteristics and requirements that help ensure safe and reliable operation.

Another point: Multicore devices have become increasingly popular in avionics because they offer improved performance, reduced power consumption, and increased redundancy. However, their implementation requires careful consideration of avionics certifications and safety requirements. Risk mitigation is a critical component of MOSA implementation; it requires strict adherence to guidelines to ensure that software safety testing conforms to safety and security guidelines.

MOSA and the intelligent edge One major development in avionics systems is the move toward intelligent edge devices. Intelligent edge systems collect and process data at the edge, feeding it into a cloud-based environment for analytics. The flexibility enabled by such systems supports incredible potential, including quick upgrades of applications and services on the system. Critical to the security of this approach is use of a DevSecOps environment, or the practice of integrating security testing at every stage of the softwaredevelopment process.

Containerization – a type of virtualization in which all the components of an application are bundled into a single container image and can be run in isolated user space on the same shared operating system – also plays a critical role in enabling intelligent edge capabilities. Containers are a portable and scalable way to package applications and services, enabling faster deployment and simpler management.

For example, the U.S. Air Force has shown that an F-16 with a container-based server can deploy containers on the aircraft even in flight. This ability offers a range of benefits, including updating and replacing at least some software applications without needing to take the aircraft offline. This option is especially important for military aircraft, where downtime can have significant operational implications.

An evolving field As the aviation industry evolves, MOSA is expected to play a larger role in the development of innovative and safe avionics systems that enable no-fail operations, whether crewed or uncrewed. MOSA implementation in aviation will be critical to remaining competitive, flexible, and profitable.

With the advent of embedded systems and the intelligent edge, avionics systems are evolving to offer sophisticated, high-performance capabilities with enhanced safety, security, and efficiency features. Avionics developers and engineers must leverage these advancements in MOSA and related technologies and standards, all of which play critical roles in enabling these next-generation capabilities. MES Cynthia Springer is Director, Industry Solutions for Aerospace and Defense at Wind River. Cynthia has more than 15 years of experience across both the defense and satellite communication (SATCOM) industries. During her career in program and project management, Cynthia has a particular interest in MOSA [modular open systems approach] to achieve competitive and affordable acquisition and sustainment over the system life cycle.

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Can SOSA bring back interoperability?

By Jim Tierney The new SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] Technical Standard – aimed at creating a common framework for transitioning military electronics sensor systems to an open systems architecture – is positioned to bring back interoperability by keeping the OpenVPX high-performance architecture while replacing the myriad of design options with a limited set of industry-agreed choices.

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Military C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] programs moving to the newest computing technologies face “forklift upgrades” or major overhauls because interoperability is long gone. Back in the days of VME, systems were built using components from many vendors; the standard enforced a plug-andplay commonality in designs. Today’s OpenVPX standard supports orders of magnitude increases in performance, but its wide-open flexibility means every system design is unique, driving up life cycle costs and stretching out upgrade timeframes.

Longstanding issues continue to plague DoD programs Most defense electronics programs struggle with long technology upgrade cycles that involve replacing complete systems, which could include a new chassis populated with updated computing modules and supported by more recent power and communications cabling. These complex upgrades take years to design and implement, driving up program life cycle costs. Long

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communications using a new high-speed connector concept. VPX, which morphed into OpenVPX, also uses the concepts of pipes, planes, and profiles to define an architecture capable of supporting multiple data transfer protocols, including Ethernet (in all its flavors), Serial RapidIO, and PCIe. While clearly able to meet the data movement demands of today’s most advanced C4ISR programs, OpenVPX is also very much ‘open’, so wide-open that interoperability is not a real possibility. There are literally dozens of profile options, further complicated by many user-defined connector pins.

Figure 1 | Slot count was the only variable in 6U VME backplanes.

SOSA also brings together elements from standards developed by each of the three military services, specifically the Army’s CMOSS (C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards), the Navy’s HOST (Hardware Open Systems Technology), and the Air Force’s SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and UCI (Universal Command and Control Interface).

upgrade timeframes also mean that deployed processors, analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, and memory chips fall behind state-of-the-art commercial components, often by several generations.

The underlying cause is a lack of technology interoperability. Customizations in hardware and unique supporting software make upgrading individual modules or specific components impossible.

Interoperability, a stated goal in many programs, has rarely been achieved in any practical sense, at least not recently.

Interoperability and a look back at VME In any technology, consistent component interoperability is based on adherence to a rigorous design standard.

Embedded electronics once had such a standard – VME. For 25 years, the VME architecture defined commercial off-theshelf (COTS) systems, while VME bandwidth increased from 40 Mbytes/sec on the original VMEbus to 80 Mbytes/ sec, then 160 Mbytes/sec and finally 320 Mbytes/sec on 2eSST. These bandwidths seem small to us today, but they were able to keep up with the contemporary processing components.

A great strength of the VME ecosystem was true interoperability, supporting systems that combined components from many contributors into effective solutions. This was possible because VME was a mature and unambiguous standard. But eventually, after an incredibly long run, the VME connector eventually ran out of gas. (Figure 1.)

OpenVPX: Fast and (too) flexible VME’s successor was VPX, a standard created to deliver very high bandwidth www.militaryembedded.com

“We’ve designed and manufactured several hundred OpenVPX backplanes.” said my colleague and Atrenne Director of Engineering Keith Vieira. “No two of them are the same; the level of flexibility allowed by the standard still surprises me.

Moving a board from one backplane to another is pretty much impossible without significant redesign.”

Design costs go up when every program uses a unique, essentially custom backplane, upgrade cycles are stretched out, and component reuse can’t happen.

SOSA’s goal: Bring back interoperability The Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard is a comprehensive standard addressing long upgrade timeframes and life cycle cost issues. Driven by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) with industry support, SOSA’s goals are to: › › › › ›

Enable upgrades of system elements without redesigns Drive more competitive, cost-effective acquisitions Lower system life cycle costs Encourage commonality and reuse of components Enable interoperability between systems

SOSA is leveraging other, already-existing standards efforts: Starting at a high level, it is aligned with the DoD’s modular open systems approach (MOSA), focusing on using standardized hardware and software. SOSA also brings together elements from standards developed by each of the three military services, specifically the Army’s CMOSS (C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards), the Navy’s HOST (Hardware Open Systems Technology), and the Air Force’s SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and UCI (Universal Command and Control Interface). The SOSA standard includes both business architecture and technical architecture; our focus here is on the technical side.

At a technical level, the SOSA standard adopted concepts and definitions from the OpenVPX standard, including a taxonomy of planes, pipes, and profiles. However, SOSA accepted only a small subset of the OpenVPX profile options. OpenVPX has quite a few plug-in card profiles (PICPs) that are, in many cases, largely redundant. To simplify that situation, SOSA employs the concept of a pinout “overlay” to define the functionality of previously undefined pins.

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Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT SOSA also reduces the number of protocol implementations defined within OpenVPX. However, the new standard does expand on the OpenVPX “Alternate Profile Module Scheme” with specific fields for RF pinouts, XMC overlay, and switch front panel fiber I/O. The result is that SOSA systems will look like OpenVPX systems, but with a huge reduction in variability. A much more tightly defined technical specification means that cards will be interoperable between systems, and backplanes will be pin-compatible with a wide range of cards from a whole ecosystem of vendors. (Figure 2.)

Moving forward with SOSA Today’s troops face a global adversary that is technically agile and futurefocused. If DoD programs cannot respond competitively, warfighters will lose the powerful technology advantage they now wield. Key to maintaining that advantage is the ability to rapidly insert new, more powerful technology into deployed sensor-enabled systems for radar, EO/IR [electrooptic/infrared], SIGINT [signals intelligence], EW [electronic warfare], and communications. MES Jim Tierney is Vice President of Aerospace and Defense Systems at Atrenne Computing Solutions. He has been with the company for nearly 15 years.

Figure 2 | True interoperability will allow tech reuse and faster upgrades. 6U SBC photo courtesy Abaco/Ametek

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Military Embedded Systems focuses on embedded electronics – hardware and software – for military applications through technical coverage of all parts of the design process. The website, Resource Guide, e-mags, newsletters, podcasts, webcasts, and print editions provide insight on embedded tools and strategies including technology insertion, obsolescence management, standards adoption, and many other military-specific technical subjects.

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

A new hope for more secure defense systems?

By Ian Ferguson Rust is a new systems-programming language that eliminates dangerous memory bugs while providing high performance. It has the potential to transform safety-critical software development through its innovative ownership model guaranteeing memory safety. However, challenges – including building out an ecosystem for certified code – may hinder Rust’s adoption. Even so, Rust provides a promising solution for more secure, reliable code.

38 November/December 2023

Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more

The clock is ticking: Military and aerospace programs are blowing past budgets and deadlines, with little signs of improvement. As recently as June 2023, more than half of the programs assessed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported delays. As seen in the chart in Figure 1, the costs of these overruns are staggering, putting U.S. national security and technological leadership at risk.

Why is this happening? At the heart of this lies increasingly complex embedded systems that require seamless integration of hardware and software. As we enter a software-defined world, these challenges will only intensify, as a recent report from McKinsey outlines.

Government and industry are responding with [the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) modular open systems approach (MOSA) mandate] and open standards like FACE [Future Airborne Capability Environment] and SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] as well as modern development workflows such as virtual platforms and DevSecOps. Another solution may lie in a new systems programming language called Rust. Developed by open-standards community Mozilla, Rust delivers unprecedented reliability while maintaining high performance standards. It prevents entire classes of bugs by design and empowers programmers to write safer, cleaner code. Rust has the potential to transform development mission-critical embedded systems, but it faces a hard road toward adoption.

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Figure 1 | Growth of software complexity in aerospace systems shown in thousand lines of source code. Graph courtesy McKinsey.

Figure 2 | Major defense acquisition programs are taking longer to deliver capabilities.

GAO graphic.

Making a case Does the world really need a new programming language? There are already so many. Safety-critical systems require secure, reliable code. But current languages fall short, resulting in project delays and vulnerabilities. (Figure 2.)

Legacy languages like C and C++ are prone to memory errors, while newer managed languages like Java and Python sacrifice control for convenience. The result is exploitable systems that could endanger lives. Rust addresses these challenges by eliminating entire classes of flaws by design, balancing power and safety and thereby freeing engineers to write robust systems from the start.

In a language like C, the burden of managing memory rests with the programmer, who needs to define a pointer to www.militaryembedded.com

allocate memory in order to use it, and the programmer needs to free the memory.

Manually allocating and freeing memory is error-prone and can lead to serious bugs if not done correctly. For example, if the programmer forgets to free the memory, it essentially causes a memory leak, eventually leading the program to crash. In the hands of a competent programmer, C can be extremely powerful, enabling them to do things that are not possible in any other language. But guardrails like coding standards are needed, along with static-analysis tools and indeed a newer set of tools performing semantic analysis on the code.

On the other hand, an interpreted language like Python performs all the memory management. If a programmer allocates a pointer and subsequently forgets to free the memory associated with it, Python will automatically do it through garbage collection. To make things easier for the programmer, Python sacrifices flexibility, freedom, and power. Functions like garbage collection are extremely slow and nondeterministic and therefore unsuitable for a system with deterministic safety and/or security requirements.

This approach enables a simplified experience for a certain class of programmers, who don’t need to worry about memory or safety and can be fantastic for higher-level applications like web browsers or business applications; it’s also partly why this class of languages is so popular. These languages also offer a diverse set of libraries, which enable programmers the power to invoke anything. As an example, the set of string manipulation libraries makes tasks like search engine keyword manipulation easier in Python than they would be in any other language.

MILITARY EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

November/December 2023

39

Open standards for embedded systems: FACE, SOSA, CMOSS, VPX, and more

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT In the context of a safety-critical or security-critical application, however, all tools need to be certified. In the case of Python, the whole interpreter needs to be qualified in order to allow its use. Gauging from industry feedback, this is an impractical exercise.

The opportunity for Rust This is an opportunity for Rust: Its constructs are some of the closest to C, but it eliminates some of the key problems that are seen with respect to pointer management and memory. Rust manages memory, but without using garbage collection. It is often mentioned in the same breath as “memory-safe languages,” which is certainly one of its main features; in fact, memory is one of the primary sources of bugs. The upshot: Rust is an opportunity to eliminate a whole class of vulnerabilities and is a massive step toward ensuring systems behave as they were intended.

The other primary element that makes Rust appealing is that its syntax is very similar to that of C. There are obviously some key differences, but it’s not the same as looking at a C program and comparing with Ada. That familiarity (Rust is like C) becomes a feature in a way, and is therefore a catalyst for C programmers to adopt Rust. It’s true that C programmers can be quite a cynical bunch, particularly toward languages that don’t give them the level of capability and freedom that they’re used to. Rust attempts to provide that level of programming freedom while eliminating common sources of challenges that would affect safety and security.

While Rust shows promise, there are challenges for the industry to address. A key part of adopting a programming language is to learn about its capabilities and – more importantly – to determine whether it’s a good fit for what it is the program is

trying to accomplish. In avionics/military target markets, there is a need to know that once code has been written in Rust, it is safety-certifiable. From a safety ecosystem standpoint, it is fair to say this is at the embryonic stage. For example, while a standard has been drafted, there is no official coding standard yet and approval of one is still a ways away.

Similarly, a MISRA standard for Rust is still being debated and discussed.

Rust also lacks a commercial tool for static analysis. Therefore, a company is going to use whatever comes from the open-source ecosystem to check syntax.

This analysis can certainly be worked around as some of the open-source tools offer some capabilities. More challenging are aspects like code coverage; today, there is no tool we are aware of providing this for the Rust ecosystem. Anyone who needs to certify their Rust program today will not be able to accomplish this; there is no coverage mechanism to enable code coverage at the source level.

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Rust also lacks a set of functionally safe libraries. Today’s offerings address more general-purpose use cases as opposed to functional safety. The military and avionics sectors are now seeing interest in Rust, including an increase in customer requests for proposals (RFPs) that call out a need to support Rust. There is significant activity in the automotive market as well, too, so it’s not unrealistic to say that end market demand there (in a substantially higher volume market than military and avionics) will create the business case for a safety ecosystem to coalesce around Rust.

What’s the best approach to using Rust?

Let’s set out a threefold method: 1. Helping customers create Rust programs and use them seamlessly with other software, including C libraries. This is important as the reality is that companies will not switch over to Rust immediately.

There will be a long period of time with a hybrid set of development tools and packages. Initial engagements with Ferrous Systems on a Rust compiler for the Lynx RTOS and unikernel have shown this is quite straightforward.

2. Converting certain programs to or writing new ones in Rust, where there is no block due to a lack of certification in place.

3. Once a more robust ecosystem is in place, migration of a broader set of the company’s software to using Rust.

Rust offers immense potential to transform the development of safety-critical systems. Its innovative design eliminates entire classes of dangerous memory bugs that plague other languages, which enables building secure software that protects human lives and critical infrastructure.

Realizing Rust’s promise, however, relies on cultivating a robust ecosystem for certified code. Industry collaboration is needed to create rigorous coding standards, validated static analyzers, and the coverage tools expected in high-assurance environments.

the world needs provably secure languages like Rust more than ever. The time is now to solve the challenges holding Rust back from wider adoption. With focus and commitment from the open-source community, Rust can fulfill its potential to make military and aerospace systems fundamentally more robust. MES Ian Ferguson is the vice president of marketing at Lynx Software Technologies and in that role is responsible for all aspects of the outward-facing presence of the company to its customer, partner, press, and analyst communities. Ian is also responsible for nurturing the Lynx partnership program to accelerate engagement in mission-critical systems. Ian spent nearly 11 years at Arm, where he held roles leading teams in vertical marketing, corporate marketing, and strategic alliances. Ian is a graduate of Loughborough University (U.K.), with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

Lynx Software Technologies • https://www.lynx.com/

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November/December 2023

41

EDITOR’S CHOICE PRODUCTS

Network security appliance with bypass function The APTNS-13181 is a network-security appliance from American Portwell Technology that integrates Intel Xeon D-2700 SoC to deliver server-class performance. This 1U platform offers three OCP NIC 3.0 network adapters with bypass function. The APTNS-13181 supports a range of applications, from NAT firewalls and network routers to IDS/IPS, UTM, VPN, SD-WAN, fog computing, and edge gateways, making it an option for various network-security tasks.

The appliance is powered by Intel Xeon® D-2700 Series processors (formerly Ice Lake-D HCC), featuring up to 20 cores, and designed with three OCP NIC 3.0 network expansion slots, which include advanced network adapters with a built-in bypass function.

This feature ensures continuous network service even during adapter failure, thereby enhancing the reliability of the network infrastructure. Additional features include two LEDs for PSU power status and storage drive (HDD) status, support for two SATA 3.0 [Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, a computer bus interface protocol for 2.5-inch hard drives], one onboard M.2 M key, one M.2 B key for cellular modules, and one M.2 E key for WiFi module.

American Portwell Technology | https://www. portwell.com/

APU with AI computing capabilities GSI Technology’s second-generation Gemini-II associative processing unit (APU) is produced on TSMC's 16 nm process. Company officials say the Gemini-II APU promises a tenfold increase in processing performance and an eightfold increase in memory density over its predecessor, along with reduced power consumption and latency. This advancement is intended to benefit large language models that are pushing the boundaries of processing capabilities. The Gemini-II APU leverages its 1-million-bit processors and 96 megabytes of distributed SRAM, offering 46 terabytes per second bandwidth.

The Gemini-II can better assist large language models, including those used in platforms like ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing, and Google Bard. These models, which have huge processing requirements, may benefit from the reduced power consumption and latency that the Gemini-II offers. According to the company, the Gemini-II chip – planned for general availability in 2024 – will bring the technology to “true datacenter applications,” whereas the earlier 28-nm Gemini-I was intended for use in synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), image collection, and molecular research.

GSI Technology | https://www.gsitechnology.com/

T3 E3 analyzer for advanced telecom testing GL Communications’ T3 E3 Analyzer is designed for monitoring and generating traffic over T3 and E3 telecom networks. The tool is capable of handling signaling, voice, and data, and supports analysis and emulation of various telecom protocols such as ISDN, CAS, and SS7. The T3 E3 Analyzer offers a channelized option that enables direct access to all channels within a T3 or E3 line, facilitating detailed emulation, analysis, and monitoring. It is equipped with dual receivers and transmitters for both unchannelized and channelized traffic, enabling simultaneous bidirectional testing.

The analyzer can drop and insert T1 (DS1) or E1 connections and analyze HDLC, ATM, frame relay, and PPP protocols. It is designed to cater to both unchannelized (unstructured) and channelized (structured) T3 E3 traffic, making it suited for comprehensive network testing. The T3 E3 Analyzer’s direct-access channelized option provides direct access to all the channels – as many as 2x28 T1s, 2x21 E1s, or 2x16 E1s, on a single PC. It supports various T1 or E1 framing formats, physical layer alarms, and payloads. The analyzer's portability and dual data stream capture capability enable the user to perform a wide range of testing scenarios.

GL Communications | https://www. gl.com/ 42 November/December 2023

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EDITOR’S CHOICE PRODUCTS

Multi-orbit SDR modem for enhanced tactical comms iDirect Government’s REVOLUTION 450mp, a compact software-defined radio (SDR) modem, is designed to enhance satellite communications for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) at the tactical edge. The portable modem supports multiple satellite orbits – whether geostationary, highly elliptical, medium-Earth or low-Earth – and waveforms for secure communications and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The modem is intended to extend satellite communications orbit and waveform choices for the warfighter regardless of location.

The 450mp, the initial product in the 4-Series SDR lineup, comes with the Evolution Defense 4.6 software platform, featuring additional security measures such as flexible key exchange for crypto-agility and enhanced transmission security (TRANSEC). The device is more compact than previous designs, offering a 30% reduction in size, weight, and power (SWaP), and is designed to withstand cyber- and electronic-warfare threats. It complies with government standards like FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and the planned Wideband Global SATCOM system. The 450mp SDR is aimed at boosting security, resiliency, and mobility, with the combination of the 450mp modem and Evolution Defense 4.6 software designed to bring measurable improvements in resiliency and flexibility to communications at the tactical edge.

iDirect Government | https://www. idirectgov.com/

Leveraging VPX for Processing-Intensive Applications Sponsored by Concurrent Technologies & New Wave Design & Verification Processor-intensive applications require a great deal of computing horsepower and I/O bandwidth. The VPX standard from VITA is a ruggedized approach to embedded computing that aims to satisfy these high-speed processing needs in such harsh environments as flight, ground defense, and other military applications as well as similar processing-intensive applications in rail and commercial transportation, imaging, security, and space.

This webcast of VPX experts will detail how the VPX standard/ecosystem enables high-performance computing in mission-critical applications. (This is an archived webcast.)

Watch this webcast: https://tinyurl.com/mr2b6wha

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November/December 2023

43

GUEST BLOG

Navigating modern warfare: PNT beyond GPS

By Scott Rosebush and Jason Wilden, Cubic Defense The issue of position, navigation, and timing (PNT) plays a pivotal role in the effectiveness and precision of modern weapons systems, making PNT indispensable in contemporary warfare. In an era where military operations are increasingly reliant on technology, accurate geospatial data is paramount. PNT systems provide real-time information about the location of assets, enabling precise targeting, navigation, and coordination of forces on the battlefield. Without reliable PNT, the efficiency of weapon systems – including drones, guided missiles, and autonomous vehicles – is compromised, resulting in decreased accuracy and operational capability. In an environment where split-second decisions and rapid response are essential, PNT serves as the foundation for strategic advantage and mission success in modern warfare.

As a result of PNT’s critical role, aerospace and defense thought leaders spend considerable time and energy ensuring a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) like GPS is available as often as possible – while preparing for potential situations when is not. There are some emerging innovations that foster the reliable sharing of PNT data across a battlespace.

Several traditional solutions offer GPS alternatives for PNT: (Figure 1.) › Atomic clock: Rubidium oscillators, cesium, and hydrogen maser techniques are used to source non-GPS PNT at network nodes where these clocks reside. › Celestial navigation: A centuries-old technique, also known as astronavigation, position information is derived from timed angular measurements of stars and other celestial bodies. › Terrestrial image analysis: Uses knowledge of landmarks and terrain when weather allows. › Inertial sensors: Tracks and calculates relative movements from a known position.

44 November/December 2023

Figure 1 | Alternatives to GPS for position, navigation, and timing (PNT). Source: GAO/DoD.

› Magnetic navigation: Map-based navigation system that uses magnetic-anomaly fields maps as navigation signals.

These solutions represent promising methods of PNT sourcing, but to become practical alternatives to GPS in modern military threat environments, they must reliably preserve and distribute PNT across all domains, especially when countered with significant electromagnetic interference, such as an adversarial electronic attack.

Two emerging innovations are currently capable of this crucial functionality, with the first being directional ad hoc MILCOM [military communications] networking.

Solutions that leverage spatial degrees of freedom are more resilient than traditional omnidirectional solutions. Software-defined antennas like the new Halo digital beamformed antenna, enable an ad hoc network powered by numerous simultaneous data links that simultaneously sense in all directions. These form autonomous links that create a mesh, which facilitates the sharing of PNT sourced from GPS alternatives.

The other innovation is resilient edge node solutions: Future edge node solutions are most effective when they can seamlessly switch between their most capable GPS state to an equally reliable mode when GPS is not present. Cubic has a personnel locator system (PLS) that delivers this capability, with a modern combat search and rescue edge node solution that U.S. and NATO forces use to locate downed pilots. It was deployed in the Launch America effort when Space-X and NASA returned Americans to space in 2020. While PLS uses GPS when it is available, it remains operational in challenged scenarios by using direction-finding and/or ranging techniques.

Alternate PNT innovations are not only promising but absolutely necessary for modern warfare, as they reliably and securely share PNT information across all domains during a conflict. New PNT networking solutions demonstrate that a path to GNSS independence is not only necessary but accessible.

Scott Rosebush is VP and GM, Secure Communications, Cubic Defense and Jason Wilden is a Technical Fellow, Secure Communications, Cubic Defense.

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EXPANDING MARKETS CALL FOR TIMELY, RELIABLE INFORMATION

LET’S EXPLORE NEW WORLDS TOGETHER

Military Embedded Systems focuses on embedded electronics – hardware and software – for military applications through technical coverage of all parts of the design process. The website, e-mags, newsletters, podcasts, virtual events, annual Resource Guide, and print editions cover topics including radar and electronic warfare, artificial intelligence/machine learning, uncrewed systems, C5ISR, avionics, and cybersecurity. Don’t miss any of it!

Military Embedded Systems is also the largest source for coverage of the Sensor Open System Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard and the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard. We exclusively produce the once-yearly SOSA Special Edition and FACE Special Edition.

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CONNECTING WITH MIL EMBEDDED

By Editorial Staff

GIVING BACK | PODCAST | WHITE PAPER | BLOG | VIDEO | SOCIAL MEDIA | WEBCAST GIVING BACK 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.

This issue we are highlighting Hope for The Warriors, a nonprofit organization established to help post-9/11 service members, veterans, and military families with post-military transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources.

Hope For The Warriors was co-founded in 2006 by Robin Kelleher and Shannon Maxwell, both of whom were married to service members. The two decided to establish an advocacy group after Maxwell's husband, Tim, was wounded was wounded in Iraq and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The family found it difficult to navigate post-service life, including gaining access to physical- and mental-health programs.

To overcome similar obstacles to care, the group offers access to a wide range of programs for individual service members and their entire family that focus on mental, physical, spiritual, and financial health and aim to provide specific tailored solutions. One major piece of the program is facilitating connection with other military families either virtually or in person. In addition to individualized programs, Hope For The Warriors runs such nationwide programs as A Warrior’s Wish, which grants wishes to severely injured servicemembers; Team Hope For The Warriors, which provides adaptive equipment and race support for athletes of all abilities to compete at various endurance events; and the Outdoor Adventures Program, which gives injured veterans the chance to take part in recreational outdoor sports.

Additionally, the group collaborates with other veteran-service organizations around the U.S. that strive to make a positive impact in the lives of military families. According to information from the organization, leadership remains in the dedicated hands of combat veterans and military family members. For additional information, visit https://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/.

WHITE PAPER

WEBCAST

MOSA Strategies and Power Considerations for Military Systems Sponsored by Aitech, Curtiss-Wright, and Intellisense Systems The push toward open architectures and a modular open systems approach (MOSA) – an approach mandated by the Air Force, Army, and Navy for all new military systems and upgrades – embraces open standards such as OpenVPX, the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard, and the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard. Many commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software solutions are designed to be aligned, conformant, and compliant with these various MOSA efforts as they are required to meet ever more stringent reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements.

How Edge Processing Is Enabling Next-Gen Millimeter Wave Scanners

By Eamon Nash, Analog Devices Millimeter wave (mmWave) imaging has become an important part of security scanning systems in airports, public buildings, and stadia. Millimeter wave scanners are superior to traditional metal detectors because they can identify and locate both metallic and nonmetallic threats.

In this webcast, industry experts discuss how MOSA strategies take advantage of COTS, address the hardware and software solutions gap within electrical power systems, and enable reduced SWaP. (This is an archived event.)

A chipset is available that uses edge processing to manage massive data loads to enable the development of walkthrough security scanning systems. The chipset – consisting of the ADAR2001 quad transmitter, the ADAR2004 quad receiver, the AD9083 16-channel ADC, and the ADF4368 PLL/VCO – enables the high level of integration and functionality necessary to implement next-generation walkthrough mmWave security scanners. While this chipset was developed specifically for mmWave security imaging applications, several attributes make this chipset useful in other applications where high channel density and fast switching are required.

Watch this webcast: https://rb.gy/b6l06i

Read this white paper: https://rb.gy/13fox2

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46 November/December 2023

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THROUGH ALL PARTS OF THE DESIGN PROCESS

TECHNOLOGY, TRENDS, AND PRODUCTS DRIVING THE DESIGN PROCESS Military Embedded Systems focuses on embedded electronics – hardware and software – for military applications through technical coverage of all parts of the design process. The website, Resource Guide, e-mags, newsletters, podcasts, webcasts, and print editions provide insight on embedded tools and strategies including technology insertion, obsolescence management, standards adoption, and many other military-specific technical subjects.

Coverage areas include the latest innovative products, technology, and market trends driving military embedded applications such as radar, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, cybersecurity, AI and machine learning, avionics, and more. Each issue is full of the information readers need to stay connected to the pulse of embedded militaryembedded.com technology in the military and aerospace industries.