KNDS developing digital twin of VBCI IFVs

A digital twin of the French Army's VBCI infantry fighting vehicle is being developed by KNDS and Arquus that will eventually become their key offering for the modernisation and maintenance of the army's vehicle fleets. (Nexter)

KNDS and Arquus will develop a digital twin demonstrator of the Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (VBCI) 8×8 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in support of the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and Defence Innovation Agency.

The digital twin will be developed under the ‘Digitization of Maintenance' (NumCo) project to support engineering and maintenance, building on the experience gained by the European Commission's European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems (FAMOUS) defence industrial development programme, according to a KNDS announcement on 12 February.

The demonstrator will be incrementally improved through information gleaned from various Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) sensors placed on 20 physical VBCI IFVs. The experimentation could be extended to a further 20 VBCIs, KNDS detailed.

HUMS will rely on multiple predictive algorithms that will determine the lifespan of a number of mechanical parts based on vehicle usage. It will also be able to anticipate the risks of breakdowns and optimise maintenance operations for each vehicle.

Ultimately, the NumCo will be the companies' main offering for the modernisation and maintenance of the French Army's vehicle fleets, the announcement detailed.