The U.S. Army will use the XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft acquisitions alongside several other programs as inaugural pathfinders to demonstrate the benefits that digital engineering, or DE, can offer to the military service.
Establishing and monitoring pathfinder programs is a key component of the Army’s DE policy as articulated in and enforced by a memo issued Tuesday by Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo.
According to Camarillo, the Army must innovate not only its capabilities but also the means by which it develops them in order to meet the challenges posed by emerging threats, fiscal constraints and technological change.
The Army undersecretary says in the memo that using DE makes it possible to avoid the negative effects of traditional engineering — like increased costs and extended development timelines — brought on by manual processes, the need for physical documents and stove-piping across stakeholder groups.
In addition to showcasing the potential DE contributions, the pathfinder programs will also aim to highlight policies or processes still in effect that might prevent the implementation of DE while identifying ways to best advance the process in various scenarios.
Army officials, government leaders and industry executives will share their priorities, strategies and solutions to challenges at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Army Summit, which will take place on June 13. Register now to attend this important event!
