Tech 101: Digital Twinning

As the defense sector seeks to develop, test, deploy, and sustain emerging technologies in an efficient and cost-effective manner, the use of digital twins, which are digital replicas of a physical object, system, or process, has proven to be of significant value. During product development, digital twinning offers benefits such as accelerated prototyping and testing, design optimization, real-time performance monitoring, collaboration and knowledge sharing, and predictive analytics. While these benefits are notable, the advantages of digital twinning continue well into a product’s operational lifespan, allowing for advanced and inexpensive simulation and training, predictive maintenance, mission planning, and life cycle management. This presentation will discuss the basics of digital twinning technology, illustrate the importance of digital twinning to the Department of Defense (DoD), and provide an overview of ongoing industry, DoD, and government activities to integrate digital twinning throughout the life cycle of critical defense technologies.