Virtual Modeling and Simulation of Military Ground Vehicles

In support of Department of Defense (DOD) mandated acquisition reform initiatives to reduce vehicle related life cycle costs and timelines, the Tank-automotive and Armaments Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is using simulation-based acquisition strategies to investigate the dynamic performance of wheeled and tracked ground vehicles throughout the vehicle development, testing, and fielding life cycle process. The paper will describe how modeling and simulation (M&S) is applied to answer a wide variety of design and performance evaluation questions and will depict a series of simulation-based engineering projects that build on the Army's simulation investments as a tool to investigate and answer real-world vehicle design, acquisition, and engineering support questions.