Aitech Introduces C165 Rugged SBC for Defense and Aerospace Modernization

Aitech, a leading provider of rugged embedded computing solutions for defense and aerospace applications, has introduced the C165 Rugged 6U VME Single Board Computer (SBC). This new product aims to help defense and aerospace organizations build or modernize mission-critical systems while preserving existing VME infrastructure.

The C165 SBC is designed to address the challenges faced by military programs, which are under increasing pressure to improve performance, enhance cybersecurity, and address component obsolescence. Many of these programs continue to rely on fielded VME architectures that remain operationally effective but are difficult to upgrade due to cost, schedule disruption, and technical risk.

The C165 SBC offers modern computing capabilities within a rugged 6U VME form factor, allowing customers to enhance performance, address obsolescence challenges, and extend the operational life of deployed systems without re-architecting their platforms. It is showcased at the Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference from September 14-16 in National Harbor, Maryland, in booth MB400.

The C165 SBC is built on the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185GRE Tiger Lake UP3 processor, which delivers significantly higher compute and graphics performance compared to previous-generation VME solutions. It supports up to 32GB of LPDDR4X memory and up to 4TB of secure NVMe storage, incorporating Aitech's AiSecure cybersecurity framework. The board also features support for PMC and XMC mezzanine sites for functional and I/O extensions, and is available in both air-cooled and conduction-cooled variants.

Alex Trigoub, product manager at Aitech, stated, "Defense customers need practical modernization solutions that improve mission capability while minimizing program risk. The C165 delivers modern, power-optimized Intel processing, powerful integrated GPU, advanced cybersecurity, versatile I/O, and high-capacity secure storage, allowing customers to enhance performance, address obsolescence challenges, and extend the operational life of deployed systems without re-architecting their platforms, while also minimizing upgrade and operational costs."

The C165 SBC is a pin-compatible successor to Aitech's C164 and C163 SBCs, providing an efficient upgrade path for customers managing technology obsolescence while preserving past investments in qualified hardware, software, and platform infrastructure. Aitech's commitment to helping customers modernize and sustain mission-critical systems through a combination of proven technology assets, mission-specific engineering expertise, and long-term lifecycle support is reflected in the C165 SBC.