MOSA, explained: modularity from the data center to the drone

The Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) has been US law since 2019. The rise of software-defined warfare — drones, edge AI, and a battlefield that changes faster than any procurement cycle — has made it urgent. Spectro Cloud's Nolan Schultz and Colton Shaw unpack what MOSA actually asks for, why a wave of 2025–26 Department of War memos has put it back at the top of the agenda, and what it means for the people who build and field these systems. They get into why the "open" in modular open systems matters as much as the "modular," how containers and Kubernetes became the modular substrate for defense software, whether modularity holds up at the disconnected tactical edge, and the two questions every program office should put to its vendors — including Colton's favorite: "How do I break up with you?" Featuring: Nolan Schultz — Account Executive at Spectro Cloud and former US Army Special Forces Colton Shaw — Principal Architect, six years across public sector and defense Hosted by Ant Newman — Director of Content, Spectro Cloud Chapters: What MOSA is, and why it's back on the agenda Why AI makes modularity non-negotiable The "open" in modular open systems: open source, hardened Containers, Kubernetes, and the move to modular software Modularity at the tactical edge: drones, DDIL, and scale The five-year view: velocity, drones, and software-defined warfare What program leaders should do, and how to challenge their vendors Learn more: Why unified computing is the key to the tactical edge: https://www.spectrocloud.com/blog/uni... Mission-ready Kubernetes at the tactical edge: https://www.spectrocloud.com/solution... Sovereign compute for defense and government: https://www.spectrocloud.com/governme... Book a 30-minute briefing with our public sector team: https://www.spectrocloud.com/governme...