SiPearl, a CPU developer funded by the EU, this week introduced its Ahena1, Europe's first high-performance processor with up to 80 cores designed for both civilian and military use. The CPU relies on the Rhea design but will be packed with sophisticated encryption and security capabilities when it becomes commercially available in the second half of 2027. Speaking of Rhea, the chip was taped out this summer and will sample in early 2026, marking another half-year delay.
SiPearl's Athena derives from the company's Rhea processor, but is enhanced with security and data integrity features that are demanded by government, aerospace, and defense applications. Specifically, the CPU is said to enable workloads like encrypted communications, intelligence analysis, cryptographic operations, and on-vehicle processing in defense and aerospace environments.
