RTI Connext Recognized as the Gold Standard for Accelerating Defense System Deployment

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Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the software framework company for physical AI systems, announced that RTI Connext® has been named a Gold Honoree in the 2025 Military + Aerospace Electronics Innovators Awards. This recognition highlights RTI’s impact – from prime contractors to emerging innovators – in fielding new systems quickly enough to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats while ensuring they remain secure and interoperable.

The Department of Defense is placing increasing emphasis on adopting commercial technologies to shorten development timelines and lower costs. Initiatives like DIU and Replicator are designed to bring dual-use technologies into the field faster while maintaining interoperability across programs. At the same time, threats are emerging faster than traditional acquisition processes can manage, underscoring the need for software-first systems that can both field quickly and evolve continuously.

“Connext helps programs move from prototype to deployment faster while maintaining the reliability defense systems require,” said John Breitenbach, Director of Aerospace and Defense at RTI. “This award affirms our ability to deliver uncompromising reliability alongside relentless innovation, ensuring defense systems deploy quickly and continuously adapt as missions and threats evolve.”

Connext is used in a range of U.S. missile defense and C-UAS platforms, including Aegis, IBCS, THAAD, and SPY-6 radar, and is trusted by 45 of the world’s top 50 defense contractors. Built on the open DDS standard, it provides a modular, data-centric architecture that enables secure, real-time information exchange and the ability to integrate new components without major redesign. This approach allows programs to field capabilities quickly while maintaining the flexibility to adapt as missions and threats evolve.

As a Silicon Valley company with deep roots in defense, RTI operates at the intersection of commercial technology and national security needs. This dual perspective allows Connext to combine the agility of commercial innovation with the resilience and assurance required for defense. Looking ahead, Connext is also positioned to support initiatives such as the DoD’s Golden Dome, which seeks to integrate sensors, effectors, and command centers into a unified, layered defense.

With more than 2,000 deployments across 500 defense programs and 300 autonomous systems, RTI Connext reflects the DoD’s broader shift toward commercial-grade architectures that deliver quickly and evolve continuously as missions and threats change.