All-Digital Aircraft Design in the Works Under AFWERX Program

Istari Digital has been granted a $15 million contract with AFWERX to provide a "groundbreaking program that will link models and simulations across the Air Force" in an effort to "address the most pressing challenges of "internetized" warfare."

Istari says they've already been used in another USAF program, an effort to develop the "world's first digitally certified airplane", the Flyer Øne. That will become a "digital-first, fixed-wing drone to demonstrate and de-risk a new, digital-first engineering process from design through certification", which would normally be the kind of thing to give engineers the heebie-jeebies, but Istari's work seems to be up to snuff. With the painful lessons being learned at this stage in the drone warfare industry, it's pretty forward-thinking to be able to shorten that pathway from inception to production now that things are moving faster than ever. The days of being able to take a leisurely decade to bring a concept to market are behind us, and Istari Digital will apparently be the ones sinking the coffin nails. The all-digital pathway isn't exactly new in other industries, as the firm notes.

"Digital transformation is rapidly accelerating industries, from medical devices to monohull racing boats," said Dr. Will Roper, Istari Digital's Founder, President & CEO. But the US Air Force isn't making toasters or fidget spinners, he adds, noting that "the challenges of disparate intellectual property and classified data have made it difficult for Defense to follow in their wakes." Now it's time to bring the military side up to the speeds enjoyed by well-heeled F1 teams.

"Digital engineering will not revolutionize aerospace overnight, nor make mistakes magically disappear. But industries, from Formula 1 racing to medical devices, keep demonstrating amazing digital transformations,” said Roper. “It's time for aerospace to push the boundaries of its digital possibilities.”

FMI: www.istaridigital.com