How artificial intelligence (AI) at the edge is defined often depends who you are speaking with and their market. For military electronics I think the best definition comes from Jake Braegelmann, Vice President of Business Development at New Wave Design, who says the edge is where the sensor collects the data and AI can enable the filtering of that data in real-time to get actionable intelligence to decision makers. In this podcast he and I discuss that concept in depth as well as the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) modular open system approach (MOSA) mandate. Jake talks about what it means to be aligned to the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard and dives into some common misconceptions about the standard.

The defense technology community has a recruitment challenge on its hands when it comes to competing with the commercial technology world for engineering talent; this reality is especially true when it comes to growing the pool of women engineers. In this podcast with Maria Ho, Deputy Director for Government and Strategic Programs, Aerospace & Defense at Analog Devices, we discuss how to encourage female students to explore engineering careers, the importance of STEM in schools, and the ways in which Analog Devices invests in young engineers. Maria also talks about those people who have inspired her in her career and how popular culture can help inspire learners.

Leveraging metamaterials for radar designs, engineers at Echodyne are enhancing the capability of small radars for applications such a counter-UAS [uncrewed aircraft systems] in military applications. In this podcast with Tom Driscoll, Co-founder and CTO of Echodyne, he and I discuss how his team’s metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA) radar system does thing that traditional active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems cannot, their unique business model, and how they leverage commercial-off-shelf (COT) components like Xilinx FPGAs.

Modular open system approach (MOSA) strategies such as the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Technical Standard are changing how the Department of Defense acquires technology. In this podcast with Tim Reed, Chief Executive Officer for Lynx Software Technologies, he and I discuss how MOSA benefits the warfighter and what it means to be certified conformant other the FACE Technical Standard.

Rebranded after being bought by Veritas Capital from CAES, Frontgrade Technologies is now a stand-alone company focused on the space market - military and commercial. In this podcast, Frontgrade President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Elias discusses how the acquisition and rebranding impacts the company and its clientele.

The procurement challenges facing defense technology companies range from a slow U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition process to supply chain headaches to when and where to leverage commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and open architectures.

TAMPA, FLORIDA ─ NIC4, a subsidiary of Network Innovations, announces that it has been awarded a Service Provider Registry (SPR) prototype, a component of the Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Enterprise Management and Control (EM&C). This software development effort is for the U.S. Space Force (USSF), Space Systems Command (SSC) through the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) as an Other Transactional Authority (OTA) Agreement Award. The SPR prototype represents the company’s fourth major award under the EM&C program.

Defense integrators are starting to adopt 5G technology for satellite communications (SATCOM) on the move applications through various programs aimed at deploying commercial innovations more quickly to warfighters.

Complex radar and electronic warfare systems drive innovation from RF and microwave designers while supply chain shortages continue to give them headaches. In this podcast, Bryan Goldstein, VP, Aerospace and Defense, Analog Devices, tackles these trends while also exploring how the defense industry will begin adopting 5G technology and where it will likely deploy first. He also shares his passion for recruiting young engineering talent into the defense electronics industry through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and other unique internship and recruiting methods.  

Hypersonic weapons and the role they will play in modern warfare are evolving rapidly. The U.S. Navy's Conventional Prompt Strike program and the U.S. Army's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon program are leading the charge for hypersonic advancements, and adversarial hypersonic developments are inspiring embedded electronics manufacturers to build defense and detection systems designed to better protect the home front. In the fourth episode of On the Radar, Emma Helfrich and John McHale discuss the concept of the hypersonic weapon and its history with the Department of Defense as it stands entering the new year. Also mentioned are additionally notable programs on the forefront of hypersonic weapon and detection innovation including both Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Georgia Institute of Technology-led strategies. Helfrich and McHale go on to outline funding projections, explain China's hypersonic test launch that occurred in August 2021, and try and break down congressional critiques of these MACH 5 missiles.

Experts from Mercury Systems and Micron Technology sat down to discuss how they deliver memory products with semiconductor supply chain integrity in the Mercury Now Podcast, titled Delivering semiconductor supply chain integrity through industry partnerships.

Supply chain bottlenecks, small satellites, complex adversarial threats in space and electromagnetic spectrum domains are all driving innovation at the microelectronics level. In this podcast, Dave Young, CTO of CAES, formerly Cobham, discusses how these challenges impact microelectronics solutions for military programs, how the defense industry is coping with the semiconductor supply chain headaches through investment and a plan for on-sho​re production, how commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products factor into modern military space systems, and what CAES' acquisition of Colorado Engineering means for the company.  

 As the second and final installment of the On the Radar series covering the release of the Department of Defense (DoD) official budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, part two focuses on the final three topics outlined in the Innovation and Modernization chapter of the document. Following part one, which highlighted the funding for science and technology research, advanced capability enablers, and space-based systems, part two takes a more interpretive approach. In the third episode of On the Radar, Emma Helfrich and John McHale chat about how the DoD plans to bankroll cyberspace activities and efforts to tackle the climate crisis, and why the divestments are happening where they are. Obstacles like cyberattacks, environmental changes, and technology refresh may be intangible, but can effect mission readiness in a very real way. Modern warfare is constantly evolving and adapting to better operate under circumstances that are difficult to control, and Helfrich and McHale wrap up the DoD budget request series with their takes on how military electronics could acclimate.

The Department of Defense has released the official budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, and it’s a big one. Among its hundreds of pages and multiple chapters, those interested can find information and statistics regarding where defense spending and funding may be headed come next year. However, looking through all of the dense material can be an arduous process, so Military Embedded Systems will help filter it a little. In the second episode of On the Radar, Emma Helfrich and John McHale discuss the first three of six total highlights pulled from the Innovation and Modernization chapter of the FY 2022 budget request and explain how they may influence the trajectory of military electronics. Topics covered include funding for science and technology research, advanced capability enablers, and space-based systems. With an overall goal of maintaining technological superiority over adversaries, Helfrich and McHale chat about how the DoD is preparing to innovate.
 

This spring Mercury Systems acquired Pentek, a designer of FPGA single-board computers, data-acquisition boards, recording systems, and other products for radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and electronic warfare (EW) applications. In this podcast, Neal Austin, Vice President and General Manager of the Mixed Signal Business Unit within Mercury Systems and Rodger Hosking, co-founder and VP of Pentek Systems deep dive into the acquisition, where Pentek will fit within Mercury, and how the acquisition impacts the Mercury efforts within the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Consortium. They also cover design trends in the radar and electronic warfare markets,  commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) procurement, the impact AI and 5G will have on military electronics, and tackle the engineering recruitment challenges defense companies face.