From the outside, the turret system on a ground vehicle may appear a straightforward mechanism.

Backed by broad support from government and industry, the release of SOSA Technical Standard 1.0 promises a new era of open standards-based system integration with flexibility and interoperability as its hallmarks.

Industrial participation is seen as a way to develop and maintain production, technology and expertise, so that critical defense products and services can continue to be produced under emergency conditions.

In order to keep up with the continued acceleration of new technology and to be able to protect the warfighter from the latest threats, it is essential that we can turn our deployed platforms into adaptable entities that can evolve over time and are not static. The SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] Technical Standard is the next major step in realizing this goal.

To exploit the potential benefits of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, video analysis, Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality and virtual reality, and other innovative technologies on mobile platforms at the tactical edge, Department of Defense (DoD) communications programs must effectively deploy advanced IT infrastructure, connectivity, and compute resources.

Additive manufacturing, also called 3D printing, is having an influence on military logistics, and helps supply personnel get replacement parts where and when they’re needed — even on the front lines.

In support of the Australian Army’s Project Land 400 Phase 2 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV), Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions’ Switzerland-based Drive Technology business is supplying its modular Turret Drive Servo System (TDSS) and hand controller technologies to Rheinmetall Landsysteme.

The suite of open architecture industry and U.S. Army standards included in CMOSS enables the reduction of C4ISR system SWaP.