Digital Twins for Internet of Battlespace Things (IoBT) Coalitions

TL;DR

The paper addresses the problem of integrating Digital Twins within IoBT coalitions to enhance interoperability, security, and resource management. It introduces a three-tier architecture with DTCP, DTC, and DTCM controllers, paired with a hybrid DT model placement strategy across edge, tactical nodes, and cloud, and leverages Software-Defined Networking for dynamic resource slicing. Key contributions include the architectural design, model-placement framework, and SDS integration to enable scalable, secure, and interoperable coalition operations. The work aims to improve situational awareness, decision-making, and operational effectiveness in coalition warfare by providing a flexible, testable, and learnable DT ecosystem across multiple defense partners.

Abstract

This paper presents a new framework for integrating Digital Twins (DTs) within Internet of battlespace Things (IoBT) coalitions. We introduce a novel three-tier architecture that enables efficient coordination and management of DT models across coalition partners while addressing key challenges in interoperability, security, and resource allocation. The architecture comprises specialized controllers at each tier: Digital Twin Coalition Partner (DTCP) controllers managing individual coalition partners' DT resources, a central Digital Twin Coalition(DTC) controller orchestrating cross-partner coordination, and Digital Twin Coalition Mission (DTCP) controllers handling mission-specific DT interactions. We propose a hybrid approach for DT model placement across edge devices, tactical nodes, and cloud infrastructure, optimizing performance while maintaining security and accessibility. The architecture leverages software-defined networking principles for dynamic resource allocation and slice management, enabling efficient sharing of computational and network resources between DT operations and primary IoBT functions. Our proposed framework aims to provide a robust foundation for deploying and managing Digital Twins in coalition warfare, enhancing situational awareness, decision-making capabilities, and operational effectiveness while ensuring secure and interoperable operations across diverse coalition partners.

Figures (4)

• Figure 1: Three-tier IoBT network architecture illustrating the hierarchical deployment of battlespace systems across Edge Devices (including sensors, drones, and wearable technology), Tactical Edge Network (featuring distributed mesh nodes), and Cloud Infrastructure (comprising secure cloud, federated cloud, and secure enclave components).
• Figure 2: Digital Twin Coalition (DTC) Logical Architecture. The architecture consists of three hierarchical tier: (1) The Coalition Partners tier (blue) comprises multiple DTC Partners ($DTCP_1$ to $DTCP_m$), each with their own controller and multiple DT models ($m_1$ through $m_k$); (2) The coordination tier (green) features the central DTC controller coordinating across partners through Digital Twin Coalition Mission (DTCM) process models ($DTCM_1-pm$ through $DTCM_n-pm$); (3) The Mission Execution tier (orange) represents individual missions (1 through $n$), each managed by a DTCM controller that orchestrates interactions between selected DT models from different partners. Bidirectional arrows indicate communication flows between layers and components, enabling seamless coordination throughout the coalition structure
• Figure 3: SDC architecture: GC, DC and IE interactions.
• Figure 4: Slice Controller architecture.