General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of software and services as the platform of choice for its digital transformation.
That’s one statement, but there’s a lot to unpack.
Who Is GA-ASI?
GA-ASI is a leading manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and radar systems. UAS, also known as drones, are planes flown remotely without a pilot on board.
GA-ASI’s design, development and production experience and expertise sets the company apart from other manufacturers. Known for its Predator and Reaper aircrafts, GA-ASI’s products are used by the U.S. military (and other forces) for missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. GA-ASI systems supply long endurance, high altitude capability and payload capacity.
Take, for example, the MQ-9. This turboprop-powered remotely piloted aircraft flies up to altitudes of 50,000 feet (15,250 m) and for as long as 27 hours. The U.S. and Royal Air Force named the MQ-9A “Reaper.” The Reaper can carry a wide range of weaponry, including Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs, making it a formidable weapon system.
Designed to carry out a wide range of missions. The MQ-9A is known for its long endurance, high altitude capability and large payload capacity. Although primarily used for military applications, the MQ-9 has been used in civilian applications such as border patrol and search and rescue.
What Is a Digital Transformation?
A digital transformation works by integrating digital toolsets. Organizations change how a product [MG1] operates and delivers value to its customers. This includes implementing cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics. Companies automate and streamline business processes, improve decision-making and create new products and services.
What is the goal of digital transformation? It’s to create an agile, efficient and customer-centric organization that is better able to compete.
Why Siemens’ Xcelerator?
A benefit of Xcelerator is the digital twin—data needed throughout the enterprise. This twin is the digital representation of a physical object or system, including operating parameters and the associated customer experience.
“Our digital twin technology is second to none and Siemens has established itself as the de facto trusted supplier to some of the world’s most advanced product development and manufacturing organizations,” said Tony Hemmelgarn, president and CEO, Siemens Digital Industries Software.
So why would GA-ASI choose Siemens Xcelerator? GA-ASI wants to cut expenses and create a collaborative, open and adaptive environment. This allows the company to fulfill its goal of accelerating product development and achieving design maturity faster.
The Siemens Xcelerator collection of tools includes Siemens industrial software (like Teamcenter, NX and Simcenter), electronic design automation, manufacturing, simulation, automation, IoT, AI and an ecosystem of partners.
GA-ASI is using NX and Teamcenter for product engineering and Simcenter for advanced simulation. The company is expecting to achieve a 30 percent gain in productivity by adopting Xcelerator.
“When we ran trials, I received feedback that the software was very intuitive and easy to learn. This will enable our team to get up to speed and rapidly utilize the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to achieve our aggressive digital transformation and productivity improvement goals,” said Dee Wilson, vice president of engineering for GA-ASI.
To meet accelerating delivery timelines, GA-ASI is also implementing Mendix, Siemens’ low-code application development platform. Its visual model-driven, minimal coding approach allows for faster development and deployment. Its built-in system integration supplies support for databases and other APIs. And Mendix includes features such as role-based access control, auditing and versioning.
With Mendix, GA-ASI is creating a hybrid cloud-deployable, native mobile and multi-experience app that will help the company meet its modernization goals.
[MG1]If this isn't correct, please provide a correct replacement for this unclear pronoun.