Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and system-on-chip (SoC) FPGAs can be used to accelerate prototyping and other development steps for mission-critical defense products, which often require functions such as secure communications, trusted intellectual property (IP), inspection of register transfer level (RTL) source code for certification, antitamper requirements, supply chain assurance, and more. To meet these challenges, the best choice is not an FPGA with a specific processor, but one integrating the new RISC-V open instruction set architecture (ISA). The combination of a secure FPGA with IP cores for RISC-V-open ISA processors with a comprehensive ecosystem enables designers to speed development, preserve software investments, accelerate innovation using a trusted processor, and meet all of the demanding security and other requirements of next-generation strategic defense systems.
article: http://mil-embedded.com/articles/using-risc-v-fpgas-strategic-defense-systems/