Subject: OUSD(R&E) Mission Engineering (ME) Methodology and Initiative
Poster: Marc Goldenberg, Chief Engineer, Mission Engineering, OUSD(R&E) / Advanced Capabilities, Directorate of Mission Integration (LinkedIn Profile)
Key Facts:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Definition | Mission Engineering (ME) is the deliberate planning, analyzing, organizing, and integrating of current and emerging operational and system capabilities to achieve desired warfighting mission effects (OUSD R&E, n.d.). |
| Objective | An analytical, data-driven approach to decompose mission parts, identify measurable trade-offs, and assess the efficacy of advanced technologies within modernization areas. |
| Governance | Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E), Assistant Secretary of War for Mission Capabilities (ASW(MC)). |
| Core Guidance | Mission Engineering Guide (MEG) v2.0 (October 2023): Standardizes the interdisciplinary process for assessing systems-of-systems (SoS) (OUSD R&E, 2023). |
| New Guidance | Mission Architecture Style Guide (January 2025): Provides model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approaches to standardize mission architecture development (OUSD R&E, 2025). |
| Community | ME Community of Practice (CoP): Includes ME Working Group and Executive Steering Council with participation from Joint Staff, Services, industry, and academia. |
| Industry Engagement | Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs) are held to update industry on threats and technical challenges (e.g., TEM on Jan 21, 2026, at Laurel, MD) (OUSD R&E, 2026). |
Note on “Mission Engineering Challenge”: The LinkedIn post refers to the ongoing technical and organizational challenges inherent in implementing the ME methodology across the Department of War, rather than a specific prize competition or open call.
References
OUSD R&E. (n.d.). Mission Engineering. https://ac.cto.mil/mission-engineering/
OUSD R&E. (2023, October). Mission Engineering Guide (MEG) Version 2.0. https://ac.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MEG_2_Oct2023.pdf
OUSD R&E. (2025, January 7). Mission Architecture Style Guide. https://ac.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/U-Mission-Architecture-Style-Guide-Final_07Jan2025.pdf
OUSD R&E. (2026, January 21). Mission Capabilities Industry Engagement (TEM). https://ac.cto.mil/
SERC. (2026, January 23). Research Highlight: Mission Engineering and Integration of Emerging Technologies. https://sercuarc.org/news/research-highlight-mission-engineering-and-integration-of-emerging-technologies/