Work

Is Digital Thread/Digital Twin Affordable? A Systemic Assessment of the Cost of DoD’s Latest Manhattan Project

Year: 2017
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This paper analyzes challenges the U.S. Air Force will inevitably face as it implements Digital Thread/Digital Twin, a model-centric approach to weapon system development, to include developing the needed computational capability, software tools, and workforce to leverage that capability. A Cost Constructive Model (COCOMO) II based analysis is performed to roughly estimate the scope, cost, and time required to develop robust Digital Thread/Digital Twin models for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft. The authors determine that such a thoroughly unprecedented model development effort will require a national commitment on par with the Manhattan Project, which yielded the first atomic bomb.
Authors: Timothy D. West, Mark Blackburn
Language: English
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2763846589
FWCI: 18.4
Cites: 24
Cited by: 155
Related to: 10