Aitech announces new U-C6850 SOSA-aligned rugged high-speed Ethernet switch/router for defence and aerospace systems

Aitech, a global leader in AI-powered rugged embedded computing and connectivity systems for defence and space applications, today announced the new U-C6850 10/40GbE Fully Managed Ethernet Switch/Router, a SOSA-aligned, high-speed, flexible and secure Ethernet connectivity solution for military and aerospace systems.

As its first SOSA-aligned Ethernet Switch/Router, Aitech is expanding its portfolio of high-speed connectivity solutions for military and aerospace platforms to support a more modular, interoperable and future-ready approach to defence system design.

"The new SOSA-aligned U-C6850 Ethernet Switch provides the high-speed networking backbone needed to connect compute resources, sensors and communications systems while supporting the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) architectures defence customers need," said Alex Trigoub, product manager, Aitech. "By enabling seamless integration into open architectures, the U-C6850 helps customers modernize legacy platforms with advanced networking technology, accelerate technology insertion and reduce lifecycle risks associated with proprietary systems."

The U-C6850 is based on an advanced and flexible Layer2/Layer3 (L2/L3) Ethernet switch and packet processor and offers up to 320 Gbps of total switching capacity, through configurations supporting up to 8x 40GbE or 32x 10GbE Ethernet interfaces, for data-intensive defence applications. By enabling high-speed data exchange across compute, sensors and communications networks, the new U-C6850 enables high-speed, low-latency video and data processing capabilities across modern sensor fusion architectures.

In addition to its networking performance, the U-C6850 supports SWaP-C optimisation by delivering high bandwidth and port density with relatively low power consumption, helping defence contractors and system integrators maximise performance while minimising size, weight, power and lifecycle costs.

The U-C6850 complements the M622 10/40GbE Ethernet Switch/Router on an XMC form factor, giving Aitech customers two available SWaP-C optimised high-speed connectivity form factors depending on the number of required Ethernet ports and the target system architecture: a fully managed Switch/Router on an XMC or a fully managed 3U SOSA-aligned board.

The new rugged Ethernet Switch/Router is designed for military and aerospace platforms that rely on fast, reliable movement of data across distributed mission systems and high-performance computing environments where bandwidth and low latency are crucial. Its SOSA-aligned architecture makes it particularly well suited for technology refresh and modernisation initiatives where system integrators need to upgrade networking, sensor processing and mission computing capabilities within existing aircraft, ground vehicles, naval platforms while minimising redesign efforts.

Key features include:

– Up to 320Gbps total switching capacity

– Configurations supporting 8x 40GbE or 32x10GbE Ethernet interfaces

– Advanced networking capabilities, supporting a full range of Layer2 (Switching) and Layer3 (Routing) standards and protocols

– Fast boot with all features enabled

– Integrated security features

– 3U VPX form factor, aligned with SOSA Technical Standard

– Low power consumption supporting SWaP-C optimisation

– Rugged design optimised for military and aerospace systems

– IEEE 1558v2 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) support for accurate network time synchronisation