A Thought Leadership Article
Joel Quintana, Ph.D.
Johnstown, PA, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Written by Joel Quintana, Ph.D., Director of Digital Technologies at NCDMM
Digital engineering represents an exciting shift in technology, aiming to maintain U.S. dominance and support warfighters by securely integrating data, capabilities, personnel, and processes through digital threads. In these virtual environments, the Department of War (DoW) can create detailed digital twins of real-world objects, enabling quick development, testing, and manufacturing of weapon systems across all military departments (MILDEPs). This approach helps prevent early design lock, reduces reliance on physical prototypes and testing, and lowers overall costs compared to traditional methods.
While there are challenges related to cultural legacies, standards, and workforce training, these also present opportunities for growth and innovation in the urgent modernization of U.S. defense capabilities.
This collaborative effort aims to revolutionize military manufacturing through innovation and technological advancement. The National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) is uniquely positioned to bring the DoW’s vision of an end-to-end digital thread to fruition and to further Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s repeated calls to put “America First” and achieve “Peace Through Strength.” NCDMM serves as an unbiased facilitator, connecting the DoW’s needs with academic institutions and the U.S. manufacturing industry to develop technology and train the workforce. Working together, we will create the DoW’s digital foundation, ushering in a new paradigm in which digital twins replace physical models and certification by analysis supplants costly physical testing.
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- Joel Quintana, Ph.D.
CONTACT: Dawn Marzano National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining 330-519-7951 [email protected]
