Spectral Autonomy

CMOSS: The Army's C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards

Part of the Open Architecture Field Guide. All information is derived from unclassified, publicly releasable (Distribution A) sources.

CMOSS, the C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards, is an Army approach that puts communications, electronic warfare, and positioning onto shared cards in one chassis instead of separate single-function boxes. It is a suite built on OpenVPX using VICTORY and MORA, developed by the Army's DEVCOM C5ISR Center and aligned with SOSA.

What it does

A ground vehicle has accumulated a separate box for each capability: one for communications, one for electronic warfare, one for positioning. Each box brings its own enclosure, power, and cooling, and each competes for space, weight, and power on a crowded platform. Adding a capability means finding room for another box.

CMOSS consolidates them. The functions become cards in a shared chassis, drawing on common power, cooling, and processing. Adding or upgrading a capability becomes a card change rather than a new box and a new integration. The chassis is built on OpenVPX, uses VICTORY for on-vehicle networking, and uses MORA for the radio-frequency chain.

CMOSS consolidates federated boxes into one chassisInstead of a separate single-function box for communications, electronic warfare, and positioning, CMOSS puts those functions onto shared cards in one chassis built on OpenVPX, with VICTORY for on-vehicle networking and MORA for the radio-frequency chain.FEDERATED BOXESComms boxEW boxPNT boxown enclosure, power, coolingONE CMOSS CHASSISComms cardEW cardPNT cardshared OpenVPX, power, coolingVICTORY networking · MORA RF chain
Spectral Autonomy
CMOSS replaces a separate box per function with shared cards in one chassis, built on OpenVPX with VICTORY networking and the MORA RF chain.

Where it sits

CMOSS is part of the hardware family, focused on Army ground vehicles. It is built to align with SOSA, so CMOSS chassis and SOSA sensor cards work together. It is built on OpenVPX and incorporates MORA for the RF chain. CMOSS is owned by an Army program office, which makes it a single-service standard rather than a consortium one.

The hardware family: OpenVPX under SOSA, CMOSS, and HOSTOpenVPX (VITA 65) is the physical foundation. SOSA adds sensor and electronic-warfare requirements, the Army's CMOSS uses it as a ground-vehicle chassis with MORA for the RF chain, and the Navy's HOST is a tiering scheme aligned with it.Built on OpenVPX; SpaceVPX (VITA 78) is the space variant.SOSAsensors, EWCMOSSArmy groundHOSTNavyMORA (RF chain)OpenVPX (VITA 65)cards, modules, and backplane profiles
Spectral Autonomy
CMOSS sits in the hardware family on the OpenVPX foundation, alongside SOSA and HOST.

Where this fits

FAQ

Is CMOSS a single specification?
No. CMOSS is a suite that combines OpenVPX, VICTORY, and MORA with software frameworks, rather than one standard of its own.
How is CMOSS different from SOSA?
CMOSS is an Army suite focused on ground vehicles and is built to align with SOSA. SOSA is a consortium standard for sensor hardware across the services.
What standards does CMOSS use?
OpenVPX for the chassis, VICTORY for networking, and MORA for the radio-frequency chain, along with software frameworks.
Who owns CMOSS?
The Army, through its DEVCOM C5ISR Center.

Sources