In an era where threats are rapidly evolving and high-tech adversaries are advancing their capabilities, the U.S. military is aggressively pursuing digital engineering (DE) to maintain its edge. This transformative approach is not only reshaping defense strategy but also creating a paradigm shift in the development and modernization of military systems.
A pioneering example of this shift is the new “Ember Digital Engineering Accelerator” introduced by GDIT. This system is a testament to the strategic imperative of DE, aiming to hasten the design process to meet rigorous military specifications. Mike Nash, the director of engineering at GDIT, highlighted that “this modeled world that we create, and with this structure and data, gives us a huge opportunity to perform simulation ahead of production,” Nash said. “So simulation and being able to have different kinds of designs of experiments that allow us to change these small degrees of freedom…small parameters in your overall solution gives a huge opportunity to do testing.”
Similarly, the U.S. Air Force is embarking on a transformative journey, recalling the rapid manufacturing legacy of World War II with its all-digital weapon design initiative. General Arnold Bunch, the head of Air Force Materiel Command, emphasized the importance of this shift, stating, “That is part of what we’re trying to do is keep competition and get to the point that we can move at the speed of relevance.”
The Army, not to be outdone, has recognized the shortcomings of traditional modernization methods and is pivoting towards DE combined with technology-agnostic open integration. This shift is endorsed by the recent Department of Defense Digital Engineering Directive, marking a unified commitment across military branches to this innovative strategy. The Army is already experiencing the benefits, with Josh Jackson, Executive Vice President of the Army Business Group at SAIC, indicating that digital engineering practices can reduce the time from design to prototype by as much as 50 percent or more.
The significance of DE accelerators is further validated by the realization of complex systems such as unmanned aerial systems and next-generation combat vehicles. The ability to integrate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and digital twins into legacy systems exemplifies the revolution that DE brings to the table. It improves efficiency, ensures adaptability, and critically, saves time and resources.
Relevant articles:
– How new digital engineering technologies could accelerate the production of new weapons, Defense One
– Digital Engineering Could Speed Wartime Arms Production, Defense One
– Leading the charge: Transforming US Army systems through digital engineering, DefenseScoop
– The digital engineering accelerators powering the Army’s modernization, C4ISRNet