Virtual Design, Optimisation and Testing (VDOT) framework for innovative sustainment

Current demand for sustainment of critical aerospace assets requires management of complex systems and a product life cycle solution. This is a major concern both in civil and defence sectors in Australia. The emergence of new technologies including additive manufacturing (AM), virtual prototyping, simulated/augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) provide a unique opportunity for Innovative Sustainment. This paper discusses the importance of a network/system approach to sustainment and the role that emerging technologies including AM and AI can play in overcoming current challenges. In addition, the paper discusses the strategic research opportunities that can be harnessed by all stakeholders using a collaborative framework. The proposed framework can result in reduced cost of ownership, reduced logistics footprint, and enhanced resilience and flexibility by in-depth analyses of the challenges ahead. Aerospace composite material systems are used to exemplify the implementation pathway of this framework.