The McHale Report Podcast

Momentum behind the the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) modular open system approach (MOSA) mandate is growing, especially as it was reaffirmed by Army, Navy, and Air Force leadership at the end of 2024. In this podcast with Clif Basnight, Vice President, Strategic Technologies, Ultra Intelligence and Communications, we discuss MOSA and how to measure MOSA success; Ultra’s participation in the Sensor Open Systems Architecture, or SOSA, Consortium; speeding up defense acquisition; and engineering talent recruitment. We also discuss a concept Clif and his team are developing called sentient radio, which is different than the cognitive radio technology currently in use.

The demand for high-reliability RF components in military space applications is growing as is the use of commercial innovation in Low-Earth Orbit and other space domains, says Eliot Fine, Product Line Manager for Space and High Reliability Components, Analog Devices. In this podcast he and I discuss the space electronic market, radiation-hardening techniques, as well as the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) modular open system approach (MOSA) mandate and how it impacts space systems. Eliot also details the RF signal chain, a concept developed by his team at Analog Devices.

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. He also shares news about his company’s recent name change and new website.

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. She also examines RF and microwave design trends in radar, communications, and electronic warfare applications.

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. Tom also shares his background in metamaterials and how he once designed an RF invisibility cloak using metamaterials.

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. Tim also dives into the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on military systems, the risks of using unsafe programming languages, engineering recruitment challenges, and more.

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. We also discuss how supply chain headaches impacted the military space electronics, how space platforms are adopting the modular open systems approach (MOSA) strategy mandated by the Department of Defense, engineering recruitment challenges, and more.

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. In this podcast, Mike McCormack, President & CEO of CP North America and Mark Kempf, VP Of CP technologies & CP Systems at CP North America discuss how those in the defense arena - government and industry - can adapt to these challenges. Also discussed are how these supply chain issues impact military COTS procurement today and reactions to the DoD’s MOSA (modular open systems approach) mandate, recruiting engineering talent, and more.

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. In this podcast, Rajeev Gopal, Vice President, Advanced Systems for Hughes Defense Intelligence Systems Division, goes in depth on military 5G solutions as well as SATCOM trends from this month's Satellite 2022 show, jamming tech, and leveraging security tools that comply with the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSFC) standard. He also details how artificial intelligence/machine learning is impacting SATCOM networks.

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. This podcast is sponsored by Pentek, which is now a part of Mercury Systems. Setting the standard for digital signal processing solutions, Pentek, now part of Mercury, supports the defense community with superior technology for radar, software radio, and signal intelligence. Their mission is to provide leading-edge, open architecture, board- and system- level solutions when REAL-TIME results and critical decision making are a must. Learn more at www.pentek.com/go/ew.

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. This podcast is sponsored by Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place, next month, November 3-4 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE. The show encompasses six different events -- Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

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 Vice President 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 artificial intelligence and 5G will have on military electronics, and the engineering recruitment challenges defense companies face. This podcast is sponsored by Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place on November 3-4, 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE. The show encompasses six different events -- Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

The ARINC 818 digital video interface and protocol standard is used throughout commercial and military cockpits for avionics display applications. As military video systems continue to increase in complexity in and out of the cockpit, for example in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor systems, the demand for ARINC 818 solutions is growing. In this podcast, Tim Keller, Chief Operations Officer at Great River Technology defines what ARINC 818 is, discusses common misconceptions about the standard, and describes its growing use in sensor applications and in training and simulation applications. Keller also details new ARINC 818 training for engineers and explores how the standard could potentially work within the Sensor Open Systems Architecture Technical Standard. This podcast is sponsored by Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place on November 3-4, 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE. The show encompasses six different events -- Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are pervasive throughout defense electronics platforms. Electronic footprints continue to shrink so much that traditional small form factors like 3U VPX or 3U CompactPCI are considered too big. So, it's not surprising that the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) is looking at new form factors, such as Short VPX. In this podcast, Jay Grandin, Vice President of Product Development at Annapolis Micro Systems discusses demand for small form factors, how Short VPX can meet that demand, and how it fits into the Open VPX ecosystem. Grandin also explores what military applications would be best suited for the new standard and how it could potentially work within the Sensor Open Systems Architecture Technical Standard, of which version 1.0 is expected to be completed this year. This podcast is sponsored by Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place November 3-4 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE. The show encompasses six different events -- Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

Ultra-wide band radar systems are generating unprecedented amounts of data and require storage systems that can handle the high bandwidth and what can seem like information overload. In this podcast, Chris Tojeira, Recording Systems Director at Pentek discusses the Department of Defense's current ultra-wideband radar requirements, how to capture signal data, PCI Express, FPGA advantages, and latency issues. He also takes a look at the future for signal recording and shares an old Commodore 64 story. This podcast is sponsored by Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place on June 23-24 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE. The show encompasses six different events -- Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems are pivotal players on the electromagnetic spectrum. In this podcast, Emma Helfrich, guest host and associate editor with Military Embedded Systems, talks with Ryan Hurt, vice president of business development at Liteye Systems, to discuss the C-UAV systems that equip the U.S. Army. Helfrich and Hurt cover the Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities, like radar and sensors, that power C-UAV systems and further the idea that innovation is dependent on data processing and intelligent algorithms to reduce the sensor-to-shooter timeline and protect the Army from aerial threats. This podcast is sponsored by: Pentek, a leading manufacturer of embedded boards and recording systems serving the defense market. As one of the original COTS vendors, Pentek has been involved in developing open architecture standards for almost 20 years. Pentek is committed to the support and development of modular open standard architectures as seen with key contributions to VITA, PICMG, and now the SOSA standard. Pentek is an active member with leadership roles in the SOSA™ Consortium technical and business working groups. To find out more about Pentek and SOSA, visit www.pentek.com/sosa.

Modern battlefields present many complex challenges for Army soldiers, one of which is how to operate in GPS-denied environment. In this podcast, George Hsu, CTO, founder, and board member of PNI Sensor Corp., discusses the challenges in designing sensor solutions for warfighters in these environments like sensor stabilization for moving soldiers and power efficiencies as how PNI leverages artificial intelligence (AI) for their sensor designs. He also describes the perfect magnetic sensor — that will provide longitude and latitude in any environment. This podcast is sponsored by: Pentek, a leading manufacturer of embedded boards and recording systems serving the defense market. As one of the original COTS vendors, Pentek has been involved in developing open architecture standards for almost 20 years. Pentek is committed to the support and development of modular open standard architectures as seen with key contributions to VITA, PICMG, and now the SOSA standard. Pentek is an active member with leadership roles in the SOSA™ Consortium technical and business working groups. To find out more about Pentek and SOSA, visit www.pentek.com/sosa.

Small satellites and their reduced size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) requirements are challenging microelectronics suppliers to deliver the performance of commercial technology while also maintaining reliability. In this podcast, I discuss these challenges with Tom Smelker, vice president and general manager for Mercury Systems Custom Microelectronic Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona. We also cover sensor processing tends and how artificial intelligence will impact future space applications. Smelker also chats about what he calls the end of Moore’s Law and its potential impact on the military electronics market. This podcast is sponsored by: Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place March 24-26 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show encompasses six different events — Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT, and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

Electronic warfare and radar solutions are being driven by signal processing innovations such as the Xilinx RFSoC FPGA and OpenVPX computing solutions. These solutions are also enabling artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities for electronic warfare, radar, and other military applications. In this podcast, Haydn Nelson, principal marketing manager for wireless prototyping deployment at National Instruments, discusses with me how AI can benefit the warfighter through embedded signal processing applications as well as the impact open architecture initiatives such as the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) can have on military technology development. He also talks about how test and measurement solutions fit into this ecosystem. This podcast is sponsored by: Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place March 24-26 2021 in Toulouse, FRANCE after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show encompasses six different events — Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.

Defense companies, be they prime contractors, system integrators, or third-party commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) suppliers, are deemed essential businesses and allowed to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this doesn't mean that their employees and bottom lines are not feeling the impact of this global crisis. In this podcast, Mark Aslett, CEO of Mercury Systems, discusses how the the nationwide shutdown is impacting the defense supply chain and the speed of the defense acquisition process, as well as which types of defense electronic suppliers are likely to feel the most financial pain. He also shares positive examples of how defense companies are stepping up to help the victims of the virus either through fundraising or by supplying desperately needed equipment. Mercury Systems is one of the organizations aiding in the efforts, and Aslett shares how his team is responding and what Mercury leadership is doing to help their own employees during this unprecedented time. This podcast is sponsored by: Aerospace Tech Week, which will now take place March 24-26, 2021 in Toulouse, France after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show encompasses six different events – Avionics Expo, Connected Aircraft Europe, Aerospace Testing Europe, MRO IT, Flight OPS IT, and FACE. To learn more about Aerospace Tech Week 2021, visit www.aerospacetechweek.com.