Faced with Chinese technological dynamism, the design of American combat aircraft would benefit from drawing inspiration from the methods used by Formula 1 teams, according to Will Roper, former director of acquisitions for the US Air Force.
While leading acquisitions for the United States Air Force from 2019 to 2021, Dr. Will Roper made a profound impression on the minds of aeronautical engineering with his innovative ideas and bold positions in aeronautical engineering and the leadership of military programs.
In particular, Dr. Roper advocated a massive and coordinated use of digital models and digital twin technology to quickly design new devices, more specialized, economical and intended to remain operational over a shorter period of time, so as to shorten the tempo technology and thus meet the challenge posed by China.
The American Secretary of the Air Force of the Biden administration, Franck Kendall Jr, however, did not pursue this path, quite the contrary. Not only did he end the programs launched by Roper, but he is implementing a much more traditional industrial doctrine, based on large series of expensive multi-purpose devices, such as the F-35 program or the future NGAD program.
Furthermore, in the face of difficulties encountered in the development of the T-7A Red Hawk training aircraft program which is to replace the T-38 Talons still used to train American fighter pilots, Mr. Kendall has taken some distance from the benefits and above all the maturity of the use of digital models applied to military aeronautics.
This is precisely what made Dr. Roper react during a interview given to the American site breakingDefense.com. Although low-key since his return to civilian life, the former Air Force Acquisitions Czar has been keen to re-defend the positions he took when presiding over Air Force acquisitions.
Thus, according to him, military aeronautical design, but also the government programs that govern them, would greatly benefit from drawing inspiration from the way Formula 1 teams work, which also make massive use of digital twin technology.
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[…] Faced with Chinese technological dynamism, the design of American combat aircraft would benefit from drawing inspiration from the methods used by […]