Case Studies
Real programs. Real constraints. Real results. Explore how Cuantico's complete VPX system integration engineering services and AI-enabled computing platforms have solved mission-critical defense challenges across electronic warfare, SIGINT, AI-driven ISR, C5ISR ground systems, shipborne combat, and electronic support measures. From SOSA-aligned backplane design to full platform integration, validated to MIL-STD standards.
Fixed-Wing EW Aircraft
Product: CU41
The Challenge
A European defense contractor required a compact high-power VPX enclosure supporting dense EW processing cards operating up to 120W per slot while maintaining MIL-STD-461G EMC compliance within a ½ ATR form factor.
Cuantico's Solution
Cuantico provided complete system integration engineering services, deploying the CU41 4+1 3U VPX enclosure with custom backplane design featuring Blade-Jet® forced-air cooling achieving 120W per slot at 55°C ambient, integrated EMI filtering, optimized heat-pipe thermal distribution, and SOSA-aligned I/O integration.
Results
- MIL-STD-461G passed on first article
- 120W per slot sustained
- Blade-Jet reduced card temperatures by 23°C
- ARINC 404 ½ ATR form factor
- IP67 environmental sealing
- MIL-STD-810H vibration qualified
Signals Intelligence Aircraft
Product: CU82
The Challenge
A SIGINT airborne platform required system integration of extremely high I/O bandwidth and dense FPGA processing modules within a rugged VPX chassis capable of handling over 1500W total system power while meeting MIL-STD-461G airborne EMI limits.
Cuantico's Solution
Cuantico delivered complete system integration engineering services, configuring the CU82 8-slot VPX platform with custom backplane, dual redundant 850W power supplies, optimized airflow management, SOSA-aligned I/O, and VITA 66 RF blind-mate interconnects enabling high-frequency RF signal routing and integration.
Results
- 8-slot VPX high density compute
- Dual 850W redundant PSU
- VITA 66 RF blind-mate integration
- High-bandwidth FPGA processing
- Airborne EMI compliance
- Sustained high-throughput SIGINT capture
Medium-Altitude UAV
Product: CU21
The Challenge
A medium-altitude UAV platform required a compact, power-efficient 3U VPX compute enclosure supporting dual NVIDIA Blackwell GPGPU cards for real-time AI/ML inference on full-motion video and sensor data streams, with integrated power supply and SWaP constraints below 12kg.
Cuantico's Solution
Cuantico provided complete system integration engineering services, configuring the CU21 compact 2+1 3U VPX platform with custom thermal design, dual NVIDIA Blackwell GPGPU compute modules, integrated CU850PS power supply, and SOSA-aligned I/O integration, delivering high-throughput AI inference while maintaining the weight and power efficiency required for sustained airborne operations.
Results
- 2+1 3U VPX with dual NVIDIA Blackwell GPGPU cards
- Real-time AI/ML inference on full-motion video streams
- Integrated 850W PSU reduces electrical complexity
- Compact dimensions: <12kg total system weight
- 70W per slot sustained for GPU compute
- -40°C to +85°C thermal envelope maintained
Mobile C5ISR Vehicle
Product: CU41S
The Challenge
A NATO tactical ground vehicle required complete system integration of a compact, power-efficient VPX enclosure with rear I/O expansion supporting multi-sensor fusion and command/control processing, while maintaining operation in vehicle-mounted configurations with MIL-STD-810H durability.
Cuantico's Solution
Cuantico delivered comprehensive system integration engineering services, deploying the CU41S SAVE½ platform with custom rear expansion panel, integrated command and control wiring harnesses, communications and sensor processing subsystems with robust power conditioning for vehicular transients, flexible SOSA-aligned I/O routing, and full vehicle-level system integration validation.
Results
- SAVE½ form factor for vehicle integration
- Rear expansion panel for flexible I/O routing
- 70W per slot at 71°C sustained
- Robust power conditioning for vehicular transients
- MIL-STD-810H vehicle vibration qualified
- Full C5ISR capability in compact chassis
Airborne ESM System
Product: CU41
The Challenge
An airborne electronic support measures platform required complete system integration of a high-power VPX enclosure supporting wideband RF tuner cards and single-board computers for real-time signal detection, classification, and direction finding across multiple frequency bands with MIL-STD-461G compliance in dense RF environments.
Cuantico's Solution
Cuantico delivered comprehensive system integration engineering services, deploying the CU41 4+1 VPX platform with custom backplane, dual hot-tuner RF cards, VITA 66 RF interconnects, multi-processor signal analysis SBCs, integrated EMI filtering and thermal management per MIL-STD-461G, delivering sustained 120W per slot for continuous surveillance and real-time analysis in high-threat airborne RF environments.
Results
- 4+1 3U VPX with dual hot-tuner RF cards
- Multiple signal processing SBCs for parallel detection streams
- Wideband frequency coverage and rapid electronic tuning
- 120W per slot sustained at 55°C ambient
- MIL-STD-461G EMI hardening for airborne RF environment
- Real-time signal detection and direction finding