# Cyber-Physical systems Executing in Real time - CyPhER Forge

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbA31fsZRjw
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/KbA31fsZRjw
Generated: 2026-01-08T19:41:41.261+00:00

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## Quick Overview

DARPA's CyPhER Forge program aims to accelerate the testing of complex combat systems by an order of magnitude using physics-informed digital twins executing faster than real-time and AI test agents that adaptively direct the system under test.

**Key Points:**
- CyPhER Forge stands for "cyber physical systems executing in real time," with the goal of accelerating combat system testing by an order of magnitude.
- The program relies on two key innovations: physics-informed digital twins executing faster than real time and artificial intelligence test agents that reason over the twin and environmental constraints.
- The digital twin space involves three core technologies: physics-informed surrogate modeling, uncertainty quantification, and data assimilation.
- The AI test agent space includes knowledge maximization, statistically guaranteed safety assurances, and agentic artificial intelligence for end-to-end test planning and execution.
- The combined system, called a "cipher," allows the agent to direct the system under test to execute knowledge-maximizing and statistically safe maneuvers with machine precision.
- Colonel James Valpiani, a DARPA program manager, noted that this emerging technology addresses the historical frustration that existing tools do not allow testing at the desired speed, rigor, and safety.
- Successful employment of a cipher will allow test professionals to significantly accelerate the fielding of capabilities to the warfighter with greater safety margins than currently available.

**Context:** Colonel James Valpiani, also known as Fangs, is a US Air Force Colonel and a DARPA program manager leading combat autonomy focused programs, with dual-hatting as the chief of combat autonomy for the Air Force test center. He explains the CyPhER Forge initiative, which draws heavily on his background in flight testing and the test pilot school, aiming to overcome the limitations and dangers inherent in current methods for testing cutting-edge combat capabilities.

## Detailed Analysis

The CyPhER Forge program is fundamentally designed to increase the speed of testing complex combat systems by a factor of ten through the integration of advanced digital twins and intelligent agents. The digital twin serves as a truth source, merging physics modeling and empirical test data in a statistically optimal way, generating high-fidelity predictions with quantified uncertainty. Concurrently, the AI test agent analyzes these predictions and environmental constraints to devise maneuvers that are both knowledge-maximizing and statistically safe, ensuring consistency with user-defined constraints. The agent then commands the physical system under test to execute these maneuvers precisely, and the resulting sensor data feeds back into the digital twin for continuous assimilation. This entire loop leverages cheap, high-performance compute and machine learning to make testing faster, more efficient, and safer, directly addressing the critical need for rapid fielding of advanced capabilities to the warfighter.

### Program Overview and Goal

- CyPhER Forge stands for cyber physical systems executing in real time
- Objective is to accelerate complex combat system testing by an order of magnitude
- Program is led by DARPA's James Valpiani (Fangs).

### Key Innovations

- First innovation is physics informed digital twins executing faster than real time, capturing physics and empirical data
- Second innovation is artificial intelligence test agents that reason over the digital twin and environment to find efficient, safe tests.

### Digital Twin Core Technologies

- Physics informed surrogate modeling
- Uncertainty quantification
- Data assimilation.

### AI Test Agent Core Technologies

- Knowledge maximization
- Safety assurances that are statistically guaranteed
- Agentic artificial intelligence for end-to-end planning and execution of test.

### The Cipher Operational Loop

- Digital twin generates predictions with uncertainty
- Test agent reasons over predictions to adaptively identify maneuvers
- Agent directs system under test to execute maneuvers with machine precision
- System generates data assimilated by the digital twin.

### Value Proposition and Motivation

- Program addresses the frustration that current tools lack the speed, rigor, and safety required for advancement
- Flight test profession is historically dangerous
- Goal is to go faster, be more efficient, and increase safety margins when fielding capabilities.