Aitech has introduced the C165 Rugged 6U VME Single Board Computer, according to announcements made at the Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The new hardware aims to help defense and aerospace organizations modernize mission-critical systems while preserving previously deployed VME infrastructure across air, land, and naval platforms.
Military programs frequently face pressure to improve performance, upgrade cybersecurity, and resolve component obsolescence. However, completely redesigning platforms introduces heavy costs, schedule disruptions, and technical risks. According to Aitech, the C165 allows program teams to upgrade computing capabilities within existing systems without requiring a full architecture migration.
Modern Intel Processing and Graphics Performance
The C165 runs on the SWaP-optimized 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185GRE Tiger Lake UP3 processor with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics featuring 96 execution units, as reported in company specifications. According to Aitech product manager Alex Trigoub, the board delivers double the CPU performance-per-watt and more than 2.5 times the graphics performance improvement compared to previous-generation Aitech VME platforms.
This hardware upgrade enables system integrators to manage demanding workloads—such as mission computing, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) processing, video analytics, and sensor-driven applications—while maintaining compatibility with legacy deployments.
Cybersecurity and High-Capacity Storage Integration
To address growing security requirements in defense programs, the C165 incorporates Aitech’s AiSecure framework. This security suite includes Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, Secure Boot, Intel Boot Guard, encrypted storage, and secure erase functionalities.
The single board computer supports up to 32GB of LPDDR4X-4267 memory with in-band ECC to optimize memory-intensive workloads. It also accommodates up to 4TB of self-encrypted NVMe solid-state storage featuring Quick Erase and Secure Erase capabilities, alongside support for PMC and XMC mezzanine cards.
Lifecycle Management and Pin Compatibility
As a pin-compatible successor to Aitech’s C164 and C163 single board computers, the C165 provides a direct upgrade path. This compatibility helps defense customers manage technology obsolescence while protecting past investments in qualified hardware, software, and platform infrastructure.
Aitech is displaying the C165 SBC alongside other mission-ready computing and connectivity products at Booth MB400 during the conference, which runs from September 14 through September 16, 2026.
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