The Rugged Science Nomad Series 2U and 3U rugged rackmount servers are deployed in mobile command centers, tactical operations, and edge environments where durability and performance are essential. Built with ICY DOCK ToughArmor modules, the Nomad Series combines rugged construction with hot-swappable storage for demanding deployments:
 

• MB996SP-6SB — 6 x 2.5" SATA/SAS drives in a single 5.25" bay
• MB118VP-B — 6 x 2.5" U.2/U.3 NVMe drives in a single 5.25" bay

About Rugged Science

Rugged Science designs and manufactures advanced computing platforms built for environments where failure is not an option. From embedded systems and rugged servers to operator interface panels, their products support defense, industrial, and other high-stakes applications. Every system is qualified to withstand vibration, shock, dust, and extreme temperatures, ensuring reliable performance in the harshest conditions. Beyond hardware, Rugged Science provides long lifecycle support, customization capabilities, and U.S.-based design and manufacturing that give customers confidence in both current and future deployments.

Rugged Science's Nomad Series Servers

Nomad Series 2U Rugged Rack Mount Server

• Compact, rugged server for mobile edge deployments
• Up to 8 SATA, 6 NVMe U.3, or 12 M.2 NVMe drives
• MILSTD810G certified for shock and vibration
• Ideal for field applications where space is limited

Nomad Series 3U Rugged Rack Mount Server

• Higher capacity rugged server for compute intensive tasks
• Supports GPUs, RAID, and redundant power
• Up to 16 SATA, 12 NVMe U.3, or 24 M.2 NVMe drives
• Designed for AI inference, signal processing, and mobile data centers
• Optimized for rack based and field deployments

The Challenge

Rugged Science needed storage that was:

• High density yet compact
• Frontaccessible and hotswappable/pluggable
• Able to support SATA, SAS, and NVMe
• Rugged enough to withstand field deployment stress

The Solution

MB996SP-6SB — SATA/SAS Mobile Rack

• 6 x 2.5" SATA/SAS drives per 5.25" bay
• Full-metal build with dual cooling fans
• Toolless, hot-swappable trays

MB118VP-B — NVMe Mobile Rack

• 6 x 2.5" U.2/U.3 NVMe drives(7mm) per 5.25" bay
• PCIe 4.0 up to 64 Gb/s per bay
• Rugged metal design with dual cooling fans
• Toolless, removable drive trays

The Result

With ICY DOCK, Rugged Science achieved:

• Effective Density: 6 drives per bay, maximizing limited rack space
• Field serviceability: Quick, front accessible drive swaps reduce downtime
• Flexibility: Mix SATA/SAS (bulk storage, OS mirroring) with NVMe (highspeed ingest, analytics)
• Reliability: Full metal construction and robust cooling meet rugged deployment standards

By standardizing on ICY DOCK's MB996SP-6SB and MB118VP-B, Rugged Science created a flexible, modular storage backbone for the Nomad 2U and 3U rugged servers. These integrations balance performance, density, and serviceability—ensuring mission critical reliability in even the most demanding deployments.