Applying system of systems and systems engineering to the military modernization challenge

The challenge of modernizing the current force of military combat systems is one of competing priorities. While planning for future capability requirements and modernization efforts, military acquisition program managers must also consider the immediate demands from the field as the United States is engaged on multiple fronts. These competing demands, along with the challenge of managing large groups of complex systems, motivate the need for an expedient and repeatable systems engineering process. The U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems developed such an approach to support analysis of acquisition programs to meet future capability needs. This paper describes the systems engineering approach and illustrates its usefulness.