10089644Unmanned Aerial System Integration & Test Digital TwinActiveCollaborative R&DInnovate UKCHANGE OF SCOPE SUMMARY Thales proposes a change of scope in replacing the original UITDT use case – based on an unmanned air system integration and digital twin – with a Complex System Integration and Test Digital Twin (CSITDT). Following an internal review, it was concluded that modifying the focus of the project from integration and test of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) to the (CSITDT) in general, would enable the project to continue delivering value and addressing the same industry challenge: reducing risk and overall cost of addressing obsolescence and capability enhancements, by enabling the early integration and test of modular components into the wider system. The CSITDT use case will be delivered within the existing timeline established for the UITDT use case and within the same approved budget. The CSITDT will demonstrate the ability to significantly reduce the risk and complexity of integrating capability changes and enhancements into a certified system. The CSITDT will pull together simulation and emulation components into a common, modular and readily updated framework that enables insertion of operator, software and hardware “in the loop” to support diverse CSITDT solutions on diverse platforms as well as their reuse on CSITDT training systems, including experimentation in virtual tactical and operational situations. Consistent with the UITDT use case, Thales will use this project as an opportunity to refine and accelerate the innovative approach and techniques to digital twinning, to continue upskilling their people in DT related business, technologies, processes and collaborative behaviours to optimise the delivery of this use case. SMEs will be enabled to showcase their capabilities in the context of a CSITDT system, and test, validate and/or prove this capability with customer stakeholders. This use case will help our operations by expanding the local talent pool and expertise and provide an intellectual synergy to increase the capabilities of our product offerings and provide technology agility. Thales will work with talent in SMEs and academia to supplement our capabilities. UK sovereign capabilities and skills will be developed, using innovative technology from stakeholders. Academic research will be supported, enabled and leveraged, encouraging spin-off potential. Thales will periodically review direction, communicating and share learnings from the development of this use case to nurture, educate, and benefit the wider DT ecosystem. The ability to integrate capability into a certified system DT will be utilised by various stakeholders in different markets to gain an understanding of industry problems: • Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Force Commands -- Unlocking potential to assess operational landscape to design for force advantage, readiness and optimised training • Civil Customers – Unlocking the potential of DTs to reduce costs, risks and timescales of test campaigns and time to market for complex system of systems • Export customers - Understanding the behaviours of ever increasingly complex operating environments within air defence and providing DT tools for local integration and training The work carried out will pipe clean the process and approach for developing operational environment digital twins with learnings enabling industry to develop, demonstrate and test digital twin design solutions and similar approaches in different sectors and use cases. Thales will take a phased approach to developing and demonstrating the benefits of this innovative high fidelity CSITDT as follows: 1. Designing the CSITDT, building on top of previously developed building blocks and different product system requirements 2. Developing the CSITDT, building on top of previously developed building blocks. 3. Developing CSITDT T&E support tools, infrastructure and processes 4. Exploiting the CSITDT to integrate new/updated software/hardware to manage obsolescence in hardware and software. 5. Exploiting the CSITDT to integrate new plug-in enhancements such as sensors, mixed effectors, increasing use of AI and third party C4I applications 6. Exploiting the CSITDT to integrate a live test and evaluation (T&E) environment to allow digitally enabled T&E; this is a customer benefit, facilitating doctrine and concept development. The work carried out will pipe clean the process and approach for developing operational environment digital twins with learnings enabling industry to develop, demonstrate and test digital twin design solutions and similar approaches in different sectors and use cases. SUMMARY OF INNOVATIVE ASPECTS Consistent with the innovative foundation established by the original UITDT use case, this Project addresses the need to bring new capabilities into safety critical environments quickly, for existing systems to be more adaptable, and to evolve in step with the changing environment within which they operate. We seek to reduce risk and overall cost of addressing obsolescence and capability enhancements, by enabling the early integration and testing of modular components into a wider system using a DT. The challenge is twofold: to incorporate the latest technological advancements to accelerate the creation of a high-fidelity Complex System Integration and Test Digital Twin (CSITDT); and demonstrate the ability to significantly reduce the risk and complexity of integrating updated and new capabilities into a certified system. The Complex System integration and Test Digital Twin (CSITDT) will be designed to be applicable across multiple domains. As part of this development, it will use a representative example drawn from ground-based air defence (GBAD) technology to demonstrate the integration, testing, and validation capabilities of the digital twin in a complex system context. The business need, and a major factor in influencing future Commercial needs, is to manage the rapid evolution of DT technologies and supporting infrastructure to provide a cost-effective means of providing new capabilities. There is a pressing need to: • enable and accelerate integration of new capabilities into an MoD certified system • provide high fidelity automated testing facilities/labs with systems approach • develop approaches for integrating novel technologies or Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) into certified systems • provide SMEs the opportunity to demonstrate & integrate their products into an MoD certified system KEY CAPABILIITES DEVELOPED WITIN CSITDT WILL: • allow users to maintain operational edge and the time to deploy a new capability is expected to reduce by up to a third • provide a high-fidelity representative environment where evidence can be generated at pace, and reduce need for live testing, underpinned by the assurance that the DT performs as the live system. • develop new approaches as the existing approaches for integrating novel technologies or commercial off the shelf (COTS) into certified systems are not well established and require comprehensive evidence prior to certification. • assist in SMEs being enabled to de-risk prior to operating within a regulated environment, allowing prime contractors to assure changes under their own certification. The Innovation focus of the project will be a combination of application of existing technologies in new areas (in case of automated testing) and development of new technology for existing areas (in case of improving integration of live data into the Digital Twin). Thales will ensure that the CSITDT improves on the nearest current state-of-the-art for Test and Evaluation (e.g. Matlab, MAK VR Forces, Unreal Engine) incorporating: • Synergies and reuse of data, tools and approaches between design and test and evaluation activities; providing an environment where fully virtual test benches, software in the loop, hardware in the loop, blended and augmented physical/virtual testing, live, virtual, constructive and embedded T&E. • Connectivity to real assets and components, creating an integrated and configurable test and evaluation environment. • Reuse of legacy data to enrich the digital models for representative behaviour and characteristics. • Artificial intelligent (AI) entities to improve quality and realism, while reducing costs, time and manual input in scenario generation o E.G. Simulated Crew models of the commander and operator for unmanned system testing • A scalable, open and extensible Architecture, maximising reuse of existing and legacy assets while eliminating siloed activities. The CSITDT is intended to be secure, scalable, interoperable and extensible utilising defence (DMasC, TDI Defence Gemini Principles, DIS and HLA, DEFCON658) and non-defence (Gemini Principles, Apollo Principles, RTCA DO-330, DDS, Cyber Essentials+) open standards and principles where possible to promote a federated, agile and open approach. We remain convinced that all aspects remain innovative. Explain the roles of each of the consortium members highlighting the necessary skills and experience The CSITDT project will be overseen by the same project manager and Thales team that has successfully been working on the other digital twin-based use cases within the project, namely Digital Crucible and AOEDT. This experienced team applies an agile approach, with a strong focus on demonstrations and detailed report outputs, ensuring continuity of expertise, established working relationships, and a thorough understanding of the project’s objectives and delivery processes. In addition to these proven capabilities, Thales will bring in new specialist skills tailored to the CSITDT use case, such as enhanced system integration techniques, advanced data capture and processing, and real-time system performance monitoring. The CSITDT product owner will collaborate closely with stakeholders to gather requirements, validate features, and make data-driven decisions, supported by continuous engagement with Thales’ customers and suppliers. The additional skills and experience required to deliver the CSITDT use case project are captured as below: ACTIVITIES: CSITDT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Digital Twins, Data Analytics, Connectivity, M&S and Cyber Security, Integration, Software, Systems, open architectures for scalability. ACTIVITIES: Data Collection and Analysis SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Collection of live trials data, Analysis, ML ACTIVITIES: GBAD T&E SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Test and Evaluation of GBAD Systems. Certification of GBAD Systems. Digital Representations for T&E. ACTIVITIES: System Integration SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Integration, open architectures for scalability. ACTIVITIES: IG and scenario generation and control SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 3D Visualisation, Game Engines, M&S ACTIVITIES: Commercialisation and Exploitation and Comms SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Commercial and Legal, Presentations, Demonstration Support, Report Writing Communications, Business Development. THE MARKET OPPORTUNITY Summary of Expected Deliverables from Project: Demonstration of new process for complex system of systems (integrating a third-party app into a GBAD system) and product (GBAD Integration and Test facility). Communication of learnings to ecosystem. Project outputs will include a: 1. Instantiated CSITDT, 2. well-defined reference architecture, 3. approach to scaled, interoperable and extensible DTs for Design and T&E, 4. accelerated products (CSITDT, Integration Lab). 5. Final report detailing: a. the architectural approach (federated and interoperable) b. Instructions and guidelines for how the ecosystem can utilise the CSITDT (scale, extend and add components to) c. How the CSITDT Enhances design and T&E of Complex systems d. How DTs can be used for formal T&E activities (safety) e. How the CSITDT Enhances Thales ability to manage obsolescence and deploy new capabilities. 6. Demonstration covering the use of the CSITDT to a. perform complex system (GBAD) T&E, b. capture, utilise, analyse and manipulate real time data from the live environment, c. execute T&E scenarios in real-time d. assess and analyse complex system design e. contribute to the management of obsolescence and the deployment of new capabilities Further written deliverables include this Exploitation plan; the project Interim Report; the project Final Report. THE PREDICTED VALUE AND GROWTH IN THE SELECTED MARKET NICHE ADDRESSABLE MARKET In the coming 5 years (2026-2029), the UK MOD is forecast to spend £54m on Digital T&E for UxS programmes and through digitised Test Ranges and T&E programmes, much of this will be used to develop uncrewed systems at pace. Of this figure, £27m is uncontracted and accessible. This is against a backdrop of a total spend by UK MoD of £3.6bn on equipment and services in these two deeply interconnected market segments. The Complex Weapons T&E market is also very large, with £113m of Digital T&E forecast over the same period. Given the greater consolidation in this market compared to UxS, the accessibility and route to market for this segment are different and dependent on fewer, much larger programmes currently in development. Further analysis of adjacent markets also highlights opportunities overseas, particularly to deliver Digital T&E for uncrewed systems. Australia, France and Germany are all expected to invest in this area with the combined market estimated to be worth £35m over the same period. These figures were generated from a synthesis of a number of data sources including internal Thales UK market forecasts, DoD analysis on historic RDT&E spend by programme type, open-source forecasts, and internal market intelligence. The defence market is responding to a changing operational environment following the Russo-Ukrainian War, requiring shortened development cycles and through-life improvement as measures and countermeasures evolve. Civil market growth is accelerating across multiple diverse sectors as the technology becomes cheaper, though companies, particularly SMEs often struggle to achieve certification quickly enough. Both these challenges are rooted in current regulatory and technological barriers. The existing approaches for integrating novel or repurposed off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies into certified systems are ill defined and require comprehensive evidence prior to certification. The emphasis on live testing allows few through-life upgrades, with platforms having to be temporarily taken out of service. Previously, a lack of a lack of fidelity or assurance has limited simulated, instead of live, tests for certification. The primary competitor in the T&E space for Thales, particularly defence, is QinetiQ. The T3E programme they hold is their largest contract and has built a strong brand for T&E across industry. Other defence, GBAD and C-UAS primes have also developed a growing T&E capability. However, industry-wide, these players are experiencing a skills gap in Digital T&E. In this context Thales can offer a powerful differentiating value proposition. Firstly, creating an agnostic digital environment meeting regulatory standards, will drastically cut the time-to-market for customers, with particularly significant value for the wider ecosystem of Small/Medium Enterprises who are less able to bear the regulatory costs currently imposed. Thales' world leading position in digital assurance and security, including in the cloud, forms the second half of the value proposition, preventing risk of IP leaks and reassuring customers. THE EXISTING OR EMERGING COMPETITIVE OFFERINGS The existing competitive offerings are limited to bespoke tools held by OEMs. There are currently no competitive digital T&E offerings on the market, but this could change, should any of the major suppliers converted their integration and test environments and digital twins to meet this market need. There are however synthetic environment offerings such as MAK VR Forces and Unreal Engine that cater mainly for training applications, but these are not tailored to our needs. Thales will ensure that the CSITDT improves on the nearest current state-of-the-art for GBAD training (MAK VR Forces, Unreal Engine) incorporating: • Synergies and reuse of data, tools and approaches between design and test and evaluation activities; providing an environment where fully virtual test benches, software in the loop, hardware in the loop, blended and augmented physical/virtual testing, live, virtual, constructive and embedded T&E. • Connectivity to real assets and components, creating an integrated and configurable test and evaluation environment. • Reuse of legacy data to enrich the digital models for representative behaviour and characteristics. • Artificial intelligent entities to improve quality and realism, while reducing costs, time and manual input in scenario generation. • A scalable, open and extensible Architecture, maximising reuse of existing and legacy assets while eliminating siloed activities. THE MEANS BY WHICH IPS WILL BE PROTECTED APPROACH TO IPR PROTECTION The UKDTC Collaboration agreement provides clarity on the Parties’ obligations and rights in relation to ownership, usage and remedies of Background and Foreground IP. These include providing IPR protection between the UKDTC Parties. Thales will develop an IP Register, which will be appended to the Exploitation Plan, to capture relevant (co)ownership of Background IP, Resulting IP, confidentiality terms and the approach to IP protection. Approach to IPR Protection: • Apply Copyright to all documents, images, videos, website etc. • IP owners to apply for Trademark protection for any Product Names associated with products arising from this project. • Where Foreground IP is capable of being patented, the (co)owners will process and fund patent applications at their own cost. • Where patenting is not appropriate or feasible, the parties will consider other routes such as trade secrets QUANTIFY THE COMMERCIAL RETURNS EXPECTED, TOGETHER WITH THE TIMESCALE Thales is a recognised leader in the development of complex system of systems in the defence and civil domains with Thales capabilities within the fast-growing GBAD market demonstrating how Thales expertise provides a market leading complex system of systems capability in the defence and para public markets. Thales have over 50 years of experience in GBAD innovation on which we have built our GBAD systems and services. We have delivered GBAD systems to the UK and export customers worldwide. Through this project Thales would extend our complex system of systems market position and increasing the value of the GBAD market, by facilitating the expansion of capability through exploitation of innovative technologies. Target Customers: For this capability, the target customers are: Defence customers (in particular UK MOD); where the value proposition is to enable exploitation of innovative 3rd party applications to extend capability and also re-use of applications from other parts of defence in the GBAD environment, maximising opportunities for interoperability. Third party technology Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs); where the value proposition is to enable them to break into the GBAD sector. ROUTES TO MARKET Through the existing UK ADAPT contract, the CSITDT will be demonstrated to the regulators and UK MOD, seeking to enhance performance, and increase the lifespan of the capability currently in service. Through the ongoing Thales domestic and export GBAD product development; the CSITDT and accompanying process will be used in-house by Thales, alongside OEMs integrating their products into GBAD solutions. PRODUCTIVITY AND GROWTH Productivity will be improved in both short and long term, as ability to rapidly test and deploy new solutions to GBAD capability is improved using this innovation, with time to integrate new capabilities expected to reduce by 30%. Growth will improve as wider capability is made available to GBAD market by reducing the barrier to entry of Small and Medium sized Enterprises. We will be able to upskill and motivate workforce, inspired by the knowledge disseminated by the project team. ADJACENT MARKET Through both the planned product development and mid-life upgrades of the Thales GBAD programmes, the OEMs will be brought into the eco-system for providing plug-in upgrades and capability enhancements. Wider markets will be targeted through export research and development programmes Thales undertakes. To enable this, Thales will incorporate this solution into the product and market strategy plans and the opportunities for market growth that it affords. The CSIT DT will also work with the adjacent C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) market. There is a civil market for the civil protection of large events, infrastructure, prisons etc which the CSITDT would apply to. There is also scope to apply portions of the digital twin, its processes and enterprise architecture to the civil market, e.g. for logistics and one way delivery of items.