Cloud, AI and Digital Twins: Transforming Defence Infrastructure
By Ashish Kumar, Managing Director, OptiValue Tek
The infrastructure supporting defence has shifted drastically and military organisations now focus on moving away from conventional hardware-centred infrastructures towards more connected and data-oriented landscapes. The technologies that are instrumental for allowing defence organisations to enhance situational intelligence, improve efficiencies, and increase operational effectiveness during this shift include cloud computing, AI and Digital Twins.
Modern defence infrastructure creates a great amount of data through various systems that include sensors, surveillance systems, communications infrastructure, unmanned systems, satellites, and command-and-control systems, and the challenge today is not only to collect such data but also to integrate information from different systems and come up with valuable insights as a result. In order to properly deal with the ever increasing amount of data generated by the defence infrastructure organisations need proper IT architecture based on cloud computing technologies with the help of which authorised personnel will get access to the information.
However, for defence organisations the process of implementing cloud systems cannot be done based on the traditional enterprise model. It is important to ensure high security, resiliency, and availability of the system. Artificial intelligence is a vital addition to this infrastructure that provides another layer of intelligence. Defence systems need to process information faster than the human operators are able to do manually. AI can help to identify multiple patterns across the huge amount of data, find anomalies, and assist in the process of making decisions. For example, AI-based analytics can process the information collected from the surveillance sensor in order to spot the unusual activity, while using predictive models it becomes possible to process information collected from the equipment and find potential issues before they happen.
Nevertheless, the usefulness of AI is claimed to depend heavily on the data quality, availability and governance. Developments in defence organisations operate at different systems, platforms, and security domains, where older and obsolete technologies are used together with the new ones. Therefore, it is as important to create an interoperable data environment as to introduce some AI systems. Data governance, secure data gateways, and human supervision are crucial for the successful implementation of all suggested recommendations concerning AI systems.
Digital Twins provide new opportunities in terms of creation of various virtual models of the existing physical objects, structures, or whole infrastructure systems. Digital Twin in infrastructure asset. Data from sensors and operational systems can continuously update the virtual model, allowing teams to understand the current condition of an asset and simulate potential scenarios. In particular, this presents various possibilities throughout the defense process. In the design process of defense, organizations can make good use of digital twins in simulating asset requirements and trying out different designs before coming up with the actual product. When in service, digital twins can help carry out so many tasks, including monitoring of devices, management of energy, and predictive maintenance.
Moreover, in training and planning operations, virtual twins provide teams with the possibility to plan ahead and analyze different situations without exposing either resources or personnel to threats.
The combination of cloud computing, AI and digital twins means that organisations have access to appropriate technologies. Digital twins make it possible to generate and use large amounts of data, while cloud-based platforms provide the required computing power. AI can help in analyzing the data and finding certain correlations and dependencies.
Technology by itself will not ensure that the transformation succeeds. Defence infrastructure must incorporate security-by-design, empowered connectivity, interoperability standards and unambiguous responsibilities as far as data and AI are concerned. Cybersecurity has to be built in along the whole architecture chain, particularly considering the fact that more connected systems provide a larger attack surface.
Hence, the future defence infrastructure is created not by a single technology but by how these technologies work together. Cloud delivers infrastructure, AI assures intelligence and Digital Twins provide a moving image of physical environment. If combined with robust cybersecurity, collective intelligence and interoperability of systems, these technologies allow the defence organisations build their systems which are more responsive, predictive and adaptable to changing operational needs.