U.S. Air Force Awards $8.6M Digital Engineering Contract
The U.S. Department of the Air Force has awarded an $8.6 million contract to Istari Digital. The funding will establish 'Industry Øne,' an initiative designed to break down digital engineering barriers and accelerate digital transformation across the defense industrial base.
The "Industry Øne" initiative aims to create an "Internet of Models" for the defense sector, tackling persistent hurdles like fragmented IT systems and incompatible software tools that hinder collaboration. This new approach will allow different organizations to connect their engineering models and data securely without having to copy or move the data from their own firewalls. Leading Istari Digital is CEO Will Roper, who previously served as the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. The company is also backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who noted that such initiatives are a step towards creating the "industries of the future." This contract builds on previous successful programs. One such initiative, "Flyer Øne," involves a partnership with Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works to create the first digitally-certified aircraft, the X-56A X-plane. Another, "Model Øne," focused on breaking down barriers for collaboration across different domains. The push for digital transformation stems from a critical need to accelerate development timelines for new weapon systems. It currently takes the U.S. about 16 years to develop and deploy a new system, whereas it takes China approximately seven years. This digital shift is seen as essential for the U.S. to maintain its competitive edge.
