About
The Center for Mission Engineering is an interdisciplinary applied research center focused on advancement in designing, analyzing, integrating, and improving systems’ ability to deliver desired mission outcomes. In response to the 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS), which charged the defense science and technology enterprise with leveraging “asymmetric American advantages: our entrepreneurial spirit and our diversity and pluralistic system of ideas and technology generation that drive unparalleled creativity, innovation, and adaptation,” Mission Engineering (ME) was identified as a critical component for understanding and assessing impacts on mission outcomes based on changes to systems, threats, operational concepts, environments, and mission architectures. The Center for Mission Engineering (CME), which started in January 2024, is committed to becoming the ME nexus for applied research and experiential learning, as well as practices, tools, and methods development.
[1] media.defense.gov/2022/Oct/27/2003103845/-1/-1/1/2022-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY-NPR-MDR.PDF
Why Mission Engineering?
The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) charged the defense science and technology enterprise with leveraging “asymmetric American advantages: our entrepreneurial spirit and our diversity and pluralistic system of ideas and technology generation that drive unparalleled creativity, innovation, and adaptation.” A year later, the 2023 National Defense Science and Technology Strategy (NDSTS) responded by focusing on the Joint Mission and creating and fielding capabilities at a rapid scale. This mission was emphasized by the words of the Undersecretary of Defense: “Making the right technology investments will require the DoD to harness the analytical power of modeling and simulation to inform our assessment of emerging technologies that have greater operational value.” Through those statements, DoD stresses a mission-centered approach to operations and support activities to ensure resources are aligned to accomplish organizational goals. Mission engineering (ME) was identified as a critical component for understanding and assessing impacts on mission outcomesbased on changes to systems, threats, operational concepts, environments, and mission architectures.
ME is considered “above the system level,” addressing SoS in a mission context and providing an integrated view of missions and supporting capabilities. ME synchronizes systems’ developments to support mission capability. Mission threads provide a linkage between SoS or systems and operational mission.
Why the Center for MIssion Engineering?
In response to the National Defense Strategy charge, the Center for Mission Engineering, started in January 2024, has been engaging with federal and state entities, as well as industry, to understand ME needs and gaps. CME is designing and implementing business processes to increase efficiency and improve workflow and workloads. It also builds relationships with the DoD centers, such as NSWC and NIWC, and with industry partners, such as Newport News Shipbuilding.
What Sets Us Apart?
- Research Centers, Laboratories, Systems, and Tools
- Researchers, Educators, Analysts, and Experts
- interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Learning Environment
- Student Pipeline
- Skills, Training, and Workforce Development
- Innovative Ideas
- Unbiased Thinking
- Diversity of Thought
- Breadth of Experience and Opportunities to Leverage
Why Mission Engineering?
The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) charged the defense science and technology enterprise with leveraging “asymmetric American advantages: our entrepreneurial spirit and our diversity and pluralistic system of ideas and technology generation that drive unparalleled creativity, innovation, and adaptation.” A year later, the 2023 National Defense Science and Technology Strategy (NDSTS) responded by focusing on the Joint Mission and creating and fielding capabilities at a rapid scale. This mission was emphasized by the words of the Undersecretary of Defense: “Making the right technology investments will require the DoD to harness the analytical power of modeling and simulation to inform our assessment of emerging technologies that have greater operational value.” Through those statements, DoD stresses a mission-centered approach to operations and support activities to ensure resources are aligned to accomplish organizational goals. Mission engineering (ME) was identified as a critical component for understanding and assessing impacts on mission outcomes based on changes to systems, threats, operational concepts, environments, and mission architectures.
ME is considered “above the system level,” addressing SoS in a mission context and providing an integrated view of missions and supporting capabilities. ME synchronizes systems’ developments to support mission capability. Mission threads provide a linkage between SoS or systems and operational mission.
Why the Center for MIssion Engineering?
In response to the National Defense Strategy charge, the Center for Mission Engineering, started in January 2024, has been engaging with federal and state entities, as well as industry, to understand ME needs and gaps. CME is designing and implementing business processes to increase efficiency and improve workflow and workloads. It also builds relationships with the DoD centers, such as NSWC and NIWC, and with industry partners, such as Newport News Shipbuilding.
