{"id":56761,"date":"2021-09-02T19:41:09","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T19:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/native\/uncategorized\/weaving-a-digital-thread-for-the-us-air-force\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:12:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:12:29","slug":"weaving-a-digital-thread-for-the-us-air-force","status":"publish","type":"native","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/native\/raytheon-missiles-defense\/weaving-a-digital-thread-for-the-us-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"Weaving a digital thread for the US Air Force"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Digital transformation speeds development, delivery and sustainment of innovative systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The U.S. Air Force general put it plainly: hostile nations are getting very good at fielding new technologies quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday\u2019s adversaries are rapidly delivering new systems and are threatening and, in some cases, surpassing our capabilities,\u201d said Air Force Materiel Command commander Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr. \u201cThe increasing time it takes us to field new capabilities is our greatest hindrance to maintaining our Air Force dominance in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bunch made those statements in support of the Air Force Research Laboratory\u2019s \u201cdigital transformation\u201d initiative \u2013 which includes the use of techniques such as modeling and simulation to put new capabilities in airmen\u2019s hands at commercial-market speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The digital transformation is also happening at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, where engineers are using those same techniques for the Air Force in every stage of a product\u2019s lifecycle, from design to production to sustainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re focused on getting superior products into warfighters\u2019 hands quickly,\u201d said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense. \u201cDigital design helps us field weapon systems faster because we can make modifications and improvements virtually and immediately test those changes. It removes a lot of the time and cost associated with traditional testing methods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Designs<\/h2>\n\n\n\nTwo B-52H Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron fly in formation during Bomber Task Force Europe 20-1 over the Baltic Sea, Oct. 23, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Duncan C. Bevan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The digital transformation starts with understanding the mission and warfighter needs, which helps drive design. Raytheon Missiles & Defense is digitally engineering a new cruise missile for the Air Force that will replace the service\u2019s legacy Air-Launched Cruise Missile. Engineers are testing components of the new weapon virtually and using feedback from simulations to inform and iterate their design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat approach allows us to make real-time engineering decisions that cut cost and gain schedule,\u201d said Paul Ferraro, vice president of Air Power at Raytheon Missiles & Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A key component of the digital thread is identifying and managing \u201cauthoritative sources of truth\u201d for designs at any point in product development. Here\u2019s how that looks in the design of a missile system: Every night, the digital version of the missile flies more than 6 million miles through a sampling of threat scenarios. Engineers can change modules that control the flight, including climb rate and turn speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They analyze results the next day, adjust accordingly and conduct further tests to see if the changes improve performance measures such as the missile\u2019s targeting capability and survivability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe technologies behind virtual test environments are improving dramatically from year to year,\u201d Kremer said. \u201cThe ultimate goal is to design and test a new capability completely in a digital environment with full confidence it will operate in the physical environment exactly as predicted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The data engineers obtain during testing provides a realistic and low-risk way to assess impacts on the entire system without having to build physical prototypes or install hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digital engineering and agile software development are also helping engineers create new systems such as the next-generation Global Precision Attack Weapon, or GPAW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The small, lightweight system will specialize in defeating hard and deeply buried targets. It will fly on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and B-21 Raider stealth bomber, and will be compatible with fourth-generation platforms. Its open-system architecture will allow for rapid upgrades in sensing, autonomy and positioning, navigation and timing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The GPAW system is a digital acquisition design effort, with the potential to be the first \u201ce-Series\u201d weapon. This means the system could be easily modified using a digital twin in a virtual environment and then physically produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Production<\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe F-15E Strike Eagle will be the first aircraft to carry the StormBreaker smart weapon built by Raytheon Missiles & Defense.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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