For decades, defense and aerospace systems have relied on architectures that were not designed for today's data intensity. Analog-heavy signal-processing chains, while effective in earlier generations of radar and sensing systems, pose inherent limitations on scalability, flexibility, and efficiency. As sensor resolution increases, particularly in applications such as phased array radar and infrared imaging, the volume of data grows exponentially, placing unsustainable demands on both processing and power.

At the same time, these systems must operate within fixed SWaP (size, weight, and power) operational limits. In aircraft, power is a shared and finite resource, with competing subsystems drawing from the same limited supply, making it the most constrained resource on the platform. In space-based systems, the challenge is even more acute: power generation is hampered, and thermal dissipation is intrinsically difficult in vacuum environments where conventional cooling methods are unavailable.