Tactical Router Employs Built-In Interconnects
Etion Create and Sundance Multiprocessor Technology Ltd. have joined forces to develop the Cheetah Tactical Router, a military-grade unit with built-in interconnects. The fully integrated and expandable router is well suited for aerospace and defense (A&D) military vehicles requiring reduced size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) and supports high-speed intervehicle and intravehicular data links with high security. The switch/router was first unveiled at DSEI UK 2025 in London.
The Cheetah Router (see figure) features support for the emerging VNX+ (VITA 90) hardware standard and Tactical Data Link (TDL) applications in harsh environments. According to Etion Create’s business development executive, Tobie van Loggerenberg: “The Cheetah Router meets the complex requirements of military vehicles operating in the most demanding environmental conditions.” He added: “As the market’s first VNX+ tactical router featuring integrated interconnects, the Cheetah Router’s flexible, modular design empowers military customers to add the functionality they need most. That includes cryptographic security and low-latency video processing.
David Givens, vice-president of industry standards for connector contributor Samtec, explained some of the benefits of the Cheetah Router’s design: “Meeting the most stringent requirements of rugged, high-reliability applications, VNX+ is optimized for the small form factor and modular-computing approach needed for modern military applications.” Givens noted: “Designers who select the new Cheetah Router for their ruggedized systems can already take full advantage of the performance and density of Samtec’s family of VNX+-compatible SEARAY connectors.” The connectors handle PAM4 data at rates to 56 Gb/s.
