In the age of digitalization, military and security-critical operations require ever-increasing computing power directly at the operational site. Sensor fusion, AI-based decision-making, and data-intensive applications must function reliably under extreme environmental conditions, regardless of the stability of the communication connection. This creates requirements that classic industrial IT systems cannot meet in terms of mechanical resilience, thermal management, or electromagnetic compatibility.

As a result, tactical edge computers form the backbone of modern mission architectures. They must deliver high computing power with minimal latency while being resistant to shock, vibration, moisture, and extreme temperatures. The basis for this is provided by systems based on standards such as MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G, and IP65/67 to ensure mechanical, thermal, and electrical robustness.

Mechanical and Thermal Robustness

In harsh operating environments, passive cooling solutions, vibration-resistant connectors, and robust housing designs are essential. Mechanically decoupled assemblies and conductive cooling concepts (e.g., cold plates or heat pipes) replace conventional fan solutions. This ensures system availability even in dusty, salty, or potentially explosive atmospheres.

Another key issue is thermal design power (TDP) management. Modern high-performance GPUs generate power losses in the range of 250 W and above, which must be efficiently dissipated in compact enclosures. Edge servers for military use employ adaptive power limits, intelligent load balancing mechanisms, and heat spreader designs that are designed for continuous operation at ambient temperatures of up to +70 °C.

Network Integration and System Architecture

Since tactical networks often have intermittent connections and high latencies, edge systems are usually designed as autonomous nodes with local data preprocessing. Communication typically takes place via redundant Ethernet interfaces (10/40 GbE), MIL-DTL-38999 connectors, or optical interfaces for high EMC requirements.

Distributed computing nodes are used for cluster operation and AI inference at the point of use, which are synchronized via deterministic communication protocols such as Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) or RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE). This enables the implementation of mobile data centers or vehicle computing clusters that can independently handle tactical sensor technology, image processing, or communication routing.

Cyber Resilience and Data Integrity

In addition to physical resilience, IT security at the hardware level plays a crucial role. Rugged systems integrate features such as Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) for device authentication, Secure Boot and firmware signatures to protect against tampering, AES-256 hardware encryption for mass storage, and write protection and zeroize mechanisms for secure data deletion.These security mechanisms are necessary to ensure system integrity even in the event of physical access by third parties or loss.

AI-based Mission Support at the Tactical Edge

Advances in energy-efficient GPUs, AI accelerators (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, AMD Versal, Intel Movidius), and NVMe-based high-speed storage are bringing real-time AI processing directly to the point of deployment. Systems at the tactical edge will increasingly be able to fuse sensor data, perform threat detection, and make autonomous decisions, even without a connection to central servers. This development is leading to a new generation of autonomous edge nodes that not only process data but are also an active part of a distributed tactical information space.

From Theory to Practice

Current systems demonstrate how performance, modularity, and robustness can be combined in compact form factors. The Gen 5 SDS (Short Depth Server), for example, demonstrates a modular approach that enables the construction of mobile cluster solutions. A scalable computer architecture with liquid or immersion cooling gives the system enormous flexibility for use in vehicles, containers, or tactical communication nodes. The SEMIL-2200GC from BRESSNER Technology is designed in a similar way and features a fully sealed housing with high shock and vibration resistance. It was developed specifically for defense and security applications, including unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), and C4ISR and C5ISR platforms.

These use cases illustrate the trend toward scalable, energy-efficient, and at the same time resilient high-performance platforms that are increasingly blurring the boundaries between central data centers and tactical edge computing.