Reference Architecture for AI-Ready Mission Computer

This guide presents a reference architecture for an AI-ready mission computer, detailing the evolution of defense platforms towards highly integrated mission systems. It outlines how modern mission systems are adopting consolidated architectures that support mixed-criticality workloads on shared hardware. The architecture described enables safety-critical control systems, mission applications, and AI workloads to coexist while maintaining strict isolation and deterministic performance. Key components include separation kernels, partitioned operating systems, and GPU acceleration. The architecture also emphasizes the importance of partitioning and deterministic isolation, ensuring independent operation of software domains while sharing hardware resources. Benefits include reduced hardware complexity, faster technology insertion, improved cybersecurity, and support for long lifecycle sustainment. The reference architecture is applicable to various defense platforms, such as missile defense systems, ISR platforms, autonomous aircraft, naval combat systems, and multi-domain command systems.