AI and the Potential to Create Digital Twins to Transform Military Logistics

Abstract

Efficient and reliable military logistics are essential to the success of military operations. When effectively integrated into logistics planning and decision-making, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can simplify complex logistics operations. Digital twins are digital representations of physical objects, systems, or processes. When powered by AI, digital twins have the potential to make military logistics smarter, more efficient, and cost-effective. It is proposed that all military equipment (embedded with sensors) and military depots in the Indian Army should have their AI digital twins created to facilitate predictive maintenance and AI-driven demand forecasting respectively. An attempt has been made to explore and validate the proposed concepts through two prototype machine-learning projects. The article further delves into the implementation aspects of AI digital twin-based predictive maintenance and demand forecasting followed by key recommendations for adoption in the Indian Army.