The Enduring Value of Highly Optimized, Non-Standardized Systems

The roles of aerospace and defense engineers have profoundly changed. Systems integrators and acquisition programs require “standardized openness” while also wishing for boxes that take up less space, weight, and power. Despite the push towards Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA), and similar open standards, there are still opportunities to use non-standardized, small form factor (SFF) designs.