Presented herein is a transportable, distributed, edge-based, cloud-centered broadband command, control and communications infrastructure with built-in resilience that can be employed in data collection and integration, intelligence processing, mission planning, cognitive decision support and operational command, control and communications system. Specifically, a Modular Mission Systems (MIMS), composed of Modular Load Units (MLU), and tactical communications gateways integrated onto air platforms of opportunity in podded configurations (PODS) that can bring cloud-based, broadband communications and processing architectures to the tactical edge.