Our capabilities as a system architect draw on major digital technologies, ranging from 3D creation to artificial intelligence. For over forty years, we have been among the pioneers in this industrial revolution, working to ensure digital continuity across all our products.
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Ever since the revolutionary advent of 3D modeling, we have been investing in digital innovations. This was the crucible that forged Dassault Systèmes, our long-standing partner. Our links with the world leader in product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions provide us with the expertise and methods needed to apply these powerful digital technologies to our industrial activities. The new tools we are deploying also enhance our ability to look ahead and take a comprehensive view—from design through production, and right down to support and the user experience.
Our new Falcon and future combat aircraft are all developed using Dassault Systèmes’ state-of-the-art 3DExperience platform, which has replaced the PLM solutions used previously in our civil and military aircraft programs.
We use the 3DExperience platform on Dassault Systèmes’ sovereign cloud to support the operational readiness of aircraft operated by the French armed forces, as well as for our work on the FCAS. Our partnership with Dassault Systèmes is the first collaborative engineering solution designed specifically to meet the cyber requirements of defense programs. This represents a significant step towards the creation of a sovereign cloud in Europe.
This approach involves using a shared digital model to coordinate everybody involved in the development of large airborne systems. It is being extended to our new programs, including the ongoing FCAS/NGF collaborative project. The system digital model allows security and data sovereignty considerations to be incorporated from the very outset.
Our big data approach to support enables us to analyze data relating to the operational life of aircraft and fleets. These cross-functional analyses, based on predictive maintenance models, speed up problem resolution and allow for a more proactive approach to maintenance planning. The digital twin system, which compares the aircraft’s actual performance to that of its digital model, further increases our forecasting capabilities, thus improving aircraft availability.