Ireland Degges
CGI Federal has concluded a real-time pilot set in a planetary-scale Metaverse space with the U.S. Marine Corps.
To conduct the pilot, CGI and partner organizations Microsoft and Battle Road Digital incorporated the Marine Corps Platform Integration Center logistics and asset management systems with digital twins, the company announced from Fairfax, Virginia on Friday.
“Our latest success represents a significant step forward in unlocking the full potential of digital technologies and their application to military operations and training,” said Horace Blackman, senior vice president of defense, intelligence and space at CGI.
Blackman said the organization sees the combination of the Metaverse and military logistics systems as something that will transform the way defense units train, strategize and position themselves for future challenges. He added that these capabilities could “set the bar for other federal agencies.”
When digital twins, or virtual depictions of real-world entities, were combined with MCPIC technologies in the pilot, the USMC was able to improve visualization, real-time monitoring, simulation capabilities and predictive analytics.
“MCPIC is already a foundational element of our global logistics and prepositioning operations. The exploration of these advancements demonstrates that MCPIC is ready to serve as a powerful bridge into the next generation of logistics and defense operations across the force,” said Col. John Sattely, commanding officer of Blount Island Command.
The testing was conducted using Blount Island facilities.
Wes Anderson, vice president of defense at Microsoft Federal and a three-time Wash100 Award winner, said the completion of this operation “highlights powerful new opportunities to transform logistics operations and planning for the Marine Corps and beyond” and demonstrates the potential of Microsoft Azure at the edge.
Though the Metaverse is not referenced in the National Defense Strategy, said Battle Road Digital CEO Josh Henderson, there is still a “ubiquitous need for improved, integrated situational awareness.” He said the partnership with CGI is “making those capabilities a virtual reality today.”
Digital twins have a wide range of potential use cases across the military services. For a look into even more ways the Department of Defense is leveraging this emerging technology, ExecutiveBiz will host its Digital Twins Forum on Nov. 1. Don’t miss your chance to hear from top digital twins experts – click here to register and secure your spot!
