Collaborative Virtual Prototyping: An Assessment for the Common Support AircraftInitiative

摘要

This report provides the framework and background information needed for applyingCollaborative Virtual Prototyping (CVP) to the new Common Support Aircraft (CSA) initiative that is commencing the study phase within the Naval Aviation Team. The CSA initiative will examine the feasibility of performing the missions now accomplished by the S-3, ES-3, E-2, and C-2 aircraft by a single common aircraft. This study examines the state of CVP technology, forecasts its maturation in the next three to five years, identifies its acceptance by the aircraft and electronics sectors of the industrial base, identifies new business processes that maximize the exploitation of CVP, and provides recommendations for implementing CVP for the acquisition of the CSA. Collaborative Virtual Prototyping is the application of distributed modeling and simulation in an integrated environment to support trade-off analyses throughout the product life cycle. It enables all members of an integrated product and process team to continuously interact through electronic modeling and data exchange; increases the insight into life cycle concerns; permits earlier testing through virtual proving grounds; and accelerates physical production through process optimization using virtual factories. Distributed simulations with integrated product and process models will permit detailed knowledge to be obtained earlier in the conceptual and preliminary design phases where it can have the most influence on life cycle cost. The report contains three major sections: (1) Technology Assessment, (2) Business Process Reengineering, and (3) Investigation Demonstrated Benefits.