Tactical Edge Computing Transforms Mission Capability for Defense Organization

Challenge 

Modern defense operations increasingly demand infrastructure that can be deployed at mission speed and adapt in real time as requirements evolve. For one military organization, meeting this challenge meant rethinking how it delivered secure, scalable computing at the tactical edge. 

The organization's existing edge platform relied on large, interdependent transit cases that took hours to set up and break down. Once deployed, the platform consumed significant power, reducing generator capacity for other mission-critical systems.   

Beyond deployment and power constraints, a lack of wireless connectivity forced mission planners to move between workstations to access classified resources. At the same time, the platform's pre-virtualization design required engineers to retrofit new capabilities into an architecture never intended for modern workloads.   

To support today's defense operations, the organization identified several core requirements for a next-generation edge platform, including: 

• Tactical ruggedness: Environmental hardening suitable for desert, jungle and maritime deployments
• Modern security: Support for NSA-approved Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) standards
• Consolidated form factor: Fewer, smaller transit cases to reduce deployment complexity

Prototyping, testing and deploying a solution at mission speed would require a multi-partner approach.  

Solution 

Delivering a prototype at mission speed 

WWT and Dell Federal quickly developed a working prototype that combined Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) capabilities with a modern, virtualized design built on Dell's XR4000 ruggedized servers. 

To accelerate validation, WWT integrated the prototype into a CSfC development lab inside its Advanced Technology Center (ATC), demonstrating a full operational model. A portable chassis provided wireless access to classified networks while securely extending enterprise services from a centralized hub over encrypted tunnels. 

By using the ATC, the military organization compressed an evaluation process that typically takes months into weeks.   

Putting the platform to the test 

WWT deployed the proposed platform to a major force-level exercise, where it operated under production conditions alongside legacy systems.  

During the exercise, WWT demonstrated how a standard classified laptop could be provisioned to access mission services within minutes, eliminating the need for mission planners to move between workstations. 

Senior officers described the platform as a long-sought capability. Likewise, the military organization's engineering team took notice, highlighting the platform's ability to address persistent challenges such as managing tactical gray networks. 

Overall, teams were impressed by how much compute and networking capability the self-contained, 50-pound form factor delivered. 

Hardened for field operations 

Following the proof of concept, WWT worked with Dell Federal to configure the platform to meet CSfC requirements and adapt it for tactical deployment. 

The solution centers on Dell XR4000 ruggedized servers, an evolution of the Dell PowerEdge R650-class enterprise systems the organization had previously deployed. Unlike the R650, which required controlled environments, the XR4000 is engineered for field operations. 

To further harden the platform, Tracewell Systems customized the chassis to withstand extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, humidity and drops common in tactical conditions.  

Inside each chassis, three server nodes operate as a virtualized cluster, delivering enterprise-level compute and networking capability.  

Results 

Following successful field demonstrations, the organization procured 240 Dell PowerEdge XR4000 kits through a two-phase acquisition. While deployment continues to expand, the platform has already delivered measurable capability enhancements for the military organization. 

• Reduced logistics burden: One person can deploy systems that previously required four-person teams and multiple interdependent transit cases. The consolidated form factor simplifies transport and setup, while lower power consumption preserves generator capacity for other mission systems, reducing the logistics tail.
• Accelerated deployment and response: Deployment times are reduced from hours to minutes, and a 15-minute boot sequence enables rapid response to emerging requirements.
• Enhanced workflows: Wireless classified access allows mission planners and commanders to collaborate from a single location instead of moving between isolated workstations, streamlining daily operations.
• Secure operational flexibility: A tri-modal connectivity architecture maintains capability regardless of communications status. The platform can extend secure connectivity through the CSfC hub or operate independently when disconnected from external networks.
• Cost savings: By consolidating systems and leveraging existing laptops, the platform reduces hardware sprawl, simplifies equipment management and lowers overall costs.
• Expanded deployment options: Reduced weight and footprint enable operations in locations where larger legacy systems were impractical, expanding where and how tactical computing can be deployed.
• AI at the edge: GPU capabilities allow the organization to process intelligence in real time at forward locations rather than relying on distant data centers that introduce latency and depend on persistent connectivity.

With a ruggedized, rapidly deployable edge platform in place, the organization can now deliver secure compute and connectivity wherever missions require it.