Computer Simulation and Testing Together Make the Virtual Proving Ground

摘要

Computer simulation is changing the way the Army prepares to fight wars, andsaving the Government money at the same time. We are finding ways to do things differently, to prepare for the next war, not the last one. We are turning the power of the computer chip into combat power and the power of synthetic testing. Eventually, everything from pistols to tanks and missiles will be developed and tested in part via computer simulation. This concept, known as the virtual proving ground, is faster and more cost effective than the traditional method of build-and-test. It also means less impact on the environment and communities near test ranges, as design and preliminary testing takes place in computers, and as munitions go to the firing range only for final confirmation. We have demonstrated this process numerous times in the Moving Target Simulator at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Using this simulator, we have reduced live firings and cut the number of personnel required for this test in half. We also save an estimated $1.8 million every year. This is just one of many success stories and only the beginning of what we at TECOM hope to accomplish in the future. While computer testing may in coming years reduce the number of people needed to