Air Force Awards $8.6M for Digital Engineering
The U.S. Department of the Air Force has awarded an $8.6 million contract to Istari Digital. The funding is for an initiative called Industry Øne, which is designed to accelerate digital transformation and break down digital engineering barriers across the Defense Department.
The Industry Øne initiative is part of a broader push for digital transformation across the U.S. military, aiming to create and test new technologies in a virtual environment before physical production begins. This "digital-first" approach is seen as a way to accelerate innovation and deliver capabilities to the warfighter more rapidly. Istari Digital was founded by Dr. Will Roper, the former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, and is backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Roper was a major proponent of digital engineering during his tenure at the Air Force, and Istari's work directly aligns with the service's goals. This contract builds on previous collaborations between the Air Force and Istari Digital. One such project, "Flyer Øne," is focused on creating the world's first digitally-certified aircraft, using models and simulations to achieve airworthiness certification. Another initiative, "Model One," received $15 million to link models and simulations to tackle challenges of "internetized" warfare. The Department of Defense's digital engineering strategy aims to formalize the use of digital models to create an "authoritative source of truth" for systems throughout their lifecycle. This is intended to improve decision-making, enhance communication between stakeholders, and increase confidence in system designs. Istari's platform functions as a "plug-n-play digital thread," securely connecting different types of data and models in real-time. This addresses a key challenge in the defense industry: integrating disparate intellectual property and classified data to enable collaboration. The ultimate goal of these digital initiatives is to create a "virtual military" where new systems can be simulated and conflicts can be wargamed in a digital environment. This approach draws inspiration from industries like Formula 1, which heavily rely on digital twins and simulations to innovate and test new designs.
