Simplifying modern defence operations with Red Hat Edge Manager

The modern front line has evolved into a hyperconnected, software-driven ecosystem. From reconnaissance drones to thousands of sensors embedded across the theatre, the network’s edge is the new digital frontier. These assets serve as the eyes and ears of contemporary military strategy, powered by real-time data analytics and specialized AI workloads. 

In the UK, for example, the Ministry of Defence’s Strategic Defence Review highlights the need for a “digital backbone” that points to a resilient, shared digital foundation designed to connect sensors and decision-makers across all environments.

The challenge: Scale without complexity

This technological revolution brings unprecedented challenges around scale and simplicity. A soldier at a remote base is a mission specialist, not an IT administrator. Field operatives rely on technology to act as a force multiplier, requiring a high degree of reliability. Modern defence operations demand agility—specifically, the ability for teams to adapt their technology to the needs of an ever-evolving mission. 

The core dilemma facing these operations is how to bring the agility of DevSecOps, the practice of rapidly developing, securing, and deploying software, to the tactical edge without requiring soldiers to be IT administrators or software developers. While pushing updates to a cloud is a standard procedure, pushing them to a fleet of devices in contested environments is a significant hurdle.

A "green means go" philosophy

Introduced at Red Hat Summit 2025, Red Hat Edge Manager is designed to address this complexity. It is a centralized fleet management solution that brings deterministic, simple control to non-IT specialists in the most distributed and minimal edge environments.

Edge Manager operates on a declarative, “desired state” principle. An operator defines the ideal state for a fleet of devices, including the operating system (OS) image, containerized applications, and configurations. Whether managed through an intuitive UI or automated GitOps pipelines, Edge Manager automatically aligns the devices to the fleet definition.

For the field operator, the ‘magic’ lies in the simplicity. Powered by Red Hat Device Edge, each device runs on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and the Edge Manager agent. This agent-based architecture is purpose-built for the far edge: instead of waiting for a command, devices proactively reach out to the designated Edge Manager server over whatever connection is available—satellite, radio, cellular—which helps eliminate the need for complex inbound firewall rules.

The operator’s view is a clear, actionable dashboard. When an update is initiated, the screen displays the status of each device. One by one, indicators turn green. When the screen is fully green, the team has a verified, mission-ready fleet. It’s a “green means go” philosophy that puts mission focus over troubleshooting.

A security-first view of edge devices

Reliable systems are the bedrock of operations. Edge Manager is built for environments where connectivity is contested and simplicity is non-negotiable. 

It starts with a trusted foundation. Red Hat Device Edge is built to align with the same rigorous compliance standards and decades-long engineering pedigree of RHEL. This provides a security-forward foundation designed for inherent resilience from the moment a device is powered on.

This foundation includes support for Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) which provides a critical hardware-rooted layer for cryptographic validation. With TPMs, organizations can help verify device identity and attest to key hardware characteristics during both the initial enrollment and ongoing management cycles.

Instead of traditional, complex patching, Edge Manager deploys RHEL image mode, providing an immutable containerized OS image. Rather than modifying a live system, a complete, verified new image is deployed across the fleet. This atomic approach helps prevent configuration drift and unauthorized changes, managing OS images with the same rigor as application containers.

To further support field operations, the Edge Manager agent-based model eliminates the need to “reach into” the device from the outside. This helps simplify firewall configuration and reduces the potential attack surface. Communication is further protected with mutual TLS (mTLS), helping to establish trusted connections over unreliable networks.

Red Hat’s vision: Platforms, not products, at the edge

The demands at the edge go beyond any single product; they require open, consistent platforms that extend from core datacenters to field-based tactical devices. Red Hat brings hardened, enterprise-grade open source technologies to the field, including Kubernetes and Linux platforms, zero trust enablers, and even post-quantum cryptography.

This cohesive approach helps defence organizations build applications once and deploy them anywhere, from strategic cores to forward-deployed assets. It provides the agility to rapidly update microservices or AI models in response to new intelligence, keeping capabilities relevant.

By bringing hybrid cloud technologies to the edge, Red Hat helps transform an IT puzzle into a matter of command-and-control certainty.

Learn more about Red Hat in the public sector at redhat.com.