General Micro Systems Introduces XDomain Family of Truly Open Standard Cross-Domain Systems

General Micro Systems (GMS) announced the latest offerings in the XDomain family of three open standard cross-domain systems (CDS) at AUSA 2025, booth #8407. Designed to be small, lightest weight, standards-based, and low cost, the cross-domain systems perform dual duty as they secure data at rest and in motion by separating Red domains from Black domains, while simultaneously bringing the highest performance mission, sensor, and payload processing functions into the CDSs themselves. Using MOSA-standard Ethernet and Thunderbolt™ 4, they are complete systems, not merely cross-domain solutions, that can significantly save size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C).

Cross-domain systems are required whenever data moves from a classified environment to an unclassified one. With smart sensors, legacy platforms, and CJADC2-driven joint operations, data increasingly crosses secure boundaries, even when using military links such as the Link-16. CDSs ensure rules-based transfer and encryption/decryption across these domains. The challenge is delivering CDSs that are lightweight, affordable, and accessible, unlike the large, proprietary, and costly systems typically offered by major primes.

“We’ve torn that model to shreds,” said Ben Sharfi, CEO and chief architect, GMS. “We’ve created three open standard-based small, lightweight, and low-cost cross domain systems that fit into swarm UAVs, mobile and portable deployments, vehicles, and more. There’s nothing in the market even close—and you’re not going to find it because it’s our X9 architecture that’s made it possible, and no one else has X9. However, each CDS in the XDomain family is MOSA-inspired and based upon the industry’s only open standards: Thunderbolt 4 and Ethernet. Why has nobody done this before?”

New XDomain products come in three class types

The three latest members of the XDomain family are all based upon the GMS Technology Readiness Level (TRL) X9 architecture:

• X9 SPIDER “TacKit” Mini-Stack small form factor (SFF);
• X7 RAPTOR Nano-Stack value-priced SFF.
• VIPER NanoATR ½ ATR (short) SOSA-aligned OpenVPX chassis based upon GMS VENOM OpenVPX.

Each CDS contains a Red domain (classified or “high side”), a Black domain (insecure or “low side), and a General Dynamics® KG-175N Type 1 HAIPE encryptor. The domains themselves are fully isolated and fully featured high-performance mission processors with high-speed Ethernet networking, Thunderbolt 4, and myriad add-in I/O used to build the cross-domain systems into complex single-box systems. The CDSs can replace other functions or systems in a defense platform, saving SWaP-C.

What differentiates GMS cross-domain systems is their class-leading small size, revolutionary light weight in each class type, the use of truly open standards, and the ability to use each system not only as CDSs, but as a fully featured high-performance system. GMS’s CDSs can replace other boxes and functions on the platform, saving SWaP-C without exuberant costs.

“No vendor or prime DoD contractor has systems that fit into such small spaces, weigh so little and are yet so full-featured, powerful, completely off-the-shelf and ready to deploy,” Sharfi said. “They’re the culmination of 46 years of experience building secure, rugged, networked, sensor processing and storage systems and learning from security partners such as General Dynamics Mission Systems and even the Army, Navy and Air Force. They will truly change secure, interoperable communications for years to come.”