Initial operational capability of future weapon systems and field test method using digital twin

Abstract

The application of artificial-intelligence technology to weapon systems, is difficult to use in military applications for such reasons as killing or wounding problems, ethical problems, and field environment considerations; therefore, more-sophisticated techniques and development are required for testing and evaluation. There is an increasing demand for advanced weapon systems that incorporate new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and for electrification, and a new paradigm that can confirm and verify the performance required for field operations is required. Therefore, through case studies on digital twins, a plan for field testing and initial operational capability in future weapon systems was developed. Five development directions were identified, including policies and systems, organization, establishment of infrastructure, and utilization plans, to establish a field test and initial operational capability. In addition, studies on economic ripple effects and cost-effectiveness were conducted based on application cases of digital twins in the private sector. An optimal method for users to safely verify performance by utilizing the digital twin method to overcome the difficulties of testing and evaluating weapon systems with new technologies from the time when the weapon system requirements are determined to mass production is proposed.