ABSTRACT
Several factors combine to fundamentally change the nature of the systems developed and fielded not only to military forces but also to civilian government agencies and to the commercial world. Like many other military forces, the U.S. military faces a strategic environment that requires agile and adaptive response to a wide range of threats and missions. Responding to this uncertainty is the emerging concept of network-centric warfare, which seeks to leverage information as a competitive source of power. Other government agencies and private industry also need the ability to respond with agility and flexibility to unexpected demands and opportunities. The information revolution provides the tools to interconnect a wide range of elements and provide them timely information. Finally, there are significant changes in the processes by which all organizations intend to acquire capabilities. Together, these conditions lead to growing opportunities for large-scale, richly interconnected systems that bridge traditional organizational and functional boundaries.
