We’re joining the fight for secure, distributed AI at the tactical edge.
Expanso has been selected as a founding member of the Edge AI Foundation’s Defense Working Group, alongside industry leaders like Qualcomm, Dell Technologies, and Wind River. But this isn’t just another industry consortium for us—it’s validation of the critical problem we’ve been solving: how do you run AI where traditional cloud connectivity fails?
Why Defense Needs Edge-Native AI
Traditional AI architectures break down in defense scenarios. Cloud dependencies become security risks. Bandwidth limitations create operational blind spots. Latency delays can mean the difference between mission success and failure.
Consider these real defense challenges:
- Remote bases with limited or unreliable connectivity
- Classified operations where data cannot leave secure perimeters
- Maritime environments with intermittent satellite connections
- Forward operating positions requiring autonomous decision-making
These environments need AI that works without the cloud, not despite it.
Our Zero-Trust Edge Platform for Defense
This is exactly why we built Expanso’s platform around zero-trust principles from day one:
✅ Data Never Leaves Its Origin
Our platform processes data at the point of collection. Sensitive intelligence never traverses external networks or touches cloud infrastructure.
✅ Autonomous Operation
Full AI capabilities function completely disconnected from external systems. No dependency on internet connectivity, cloud APIs, or remote services.
✅ Real-Time Processing
Sub-second decision-making for time-critical operations. Analysis happens locally, eliminating round-trip latency to distant data centers.
✅ Scalable Deployment
Deploy across diverse hardware—from ruggedized edge devices to classified data centers—using the same unified platform.
What We’re Bringing to the Working Group
Our defense-focused contributions include:
Technical Leadership
- Zero-trust architecture patterns for mission-critical AI workloads
- Disconnected operation frameworks that maintain full functionality without external dependencies
- Cross-domain security models for multi-classification-level environments
Real-World Experience
We’re already solving these problems for enterprises with similar requirements—healthcare systems that can’t send patient data to the cloud, financial institutions with regulatory constraints, and industrial operations in remote locations.
Policy Perspective
Working alongside the Defense Working Group’s policy initiatives to help defense leadership understand what’s possible when AI processing happens at the tactical edge.
The Defense AI Opportunity
The working group, chaired by Sek Chai from Latent AI, will focus on accelerating technical solutions and raising awareness within defense policy circles. For Expanso, this means direct engagement with defense leadership who need to understand that edge-first AI isn’t just an option—it’s often the only viable approach.
We’ll be participating in the upcoming EDGE AI SAN DIEGO 2026 conference (March 24-26) and the first EDGE AI Defense Symposium at Johns Hopkins University (May 27, 2026), where policy makers and technology leaders will define the future of defense AI capabilities.
What This Means for Defense Applications
This working group membership accelerates our defense initiatives:
- Faster certification processes for government deployments
- Enhanced partnerships with prime contractors and systems integrators
- Direct policy input on edge AI standards and requirements
- Collaborative development with other defense-focused technology leaders
Next Steps
Defense and government agencies ready to explore zero-trust edge computing can contact our enterprise team at [email protected]. We’re particularly focused on applications where traditional cloud AI architectures create security, latency, or connectivity challenges.
The future of defense AI isn’t in the cloud—it’s at the edge where missions happen.
Expanso provides zero-trust edge computing platforms that process data at the point of collection. Our technology addresses critical requirements for defense, healthcare, financial services, and other regulated industries where data security and processing autonomy are paramount. Learn more at expanso.io.