3 Use Cases for AR in Defense

How AR can help defense organizations optimize their supply chains for improved ROI

The defense industry is increasingly adopting digital transformation solutions to enhance its operations and improve business outcomes. A recent study revealed that 61% of executives consider augmented reality (AR) technologies as a key enabler of digital transformation strategies. AR technologies like Onsight can seamlessly integrate throughout supply chains.

Given the increasing complexity of supply chain networks, it is essential to identify key areas where AR can make the biggest impact within your business. In this blog post, we highlight the three top use cases of AR in defense.

Remote Inspection

Several defense organizations have standardized facility and product inspection procedures to continually assess the condition of their own assets as well as those of suppliers. Given the safety and security requirements of these assets, inspections were traditionally performed in-person. The pandemic hindered the ability of auditors to perform inspections on site. AR solutions with advanced remote capabilities have emerged as viable options helping companies manage relationships between their suppliers and partners during these unprecedented times.

With advanced remote expert capabilities, auditors can inspect a facility or product on a live video call with a field technician using a smartphone, tablet, or industrial AR wearable with advanced remote expert capabilities. The auditor can ask the technician to zoom in on certain areas, use telestration to mark areas for clarification and even take HD photos for recordkeeping purposes. Additional features such as a secure on-premise knowledge database can help record the inspection findings in real-time.

Aircraft Sustainment

In 2018, the US government accountability office (GAO) reported that the Air Force generally did not meet key aircraft availability goals. Aging equipment and lack of maintenance support were identified as key factors affecting the availability of assets. Aircraft sustainment strategies can help overcome these challenges during routine maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) tasks.

Traditionally, field technicians relied on paper-based manuals to find the answers they needed to perform MRO activities. Paper-heavy processes can be inefficient and result in higher asset downtime. Digital work instructions can enable increased uptime and improved first-time fix rates by providing field technicians relevant data required to complete tasks more efficiently. Complex MRO jobs may require additional support from subject matter experts (SMEs). Skill shortages in the field often result in SMEs working across continents. Field technicians can use remote assistance capabilities to collaborate with SMEs virtually, resulting in significant cost savings and improved productivity.

Training & Onboarding Field Staff

Training and onboarding new field technicians in a timely manner is challenging. With increasing skill shortages, AR capabilities like digital work instructions, IoT data and AI computer vision take the guesswork out of field tasks. Using these capabilities, organizations can get workers onboarded and trained while on the job. Enterprise AR solutions can also help reduce error margins and create a safe and reliable learning environment.

According to a report by Deloitte, the AR market for the defense sector is estimated to reach $1.7 billion by the end of 2025. With increasing demands for efficiency, higher productivity, asset longevity and improved cost savings, defense organizations are increasing their spend on scalable AR solutions to meet the needs of their complex supply chain networks.

If you’d like to learn more about how Librestream’s Onsight can help your organization achieve improved business outcomes, contact a member of our team today!