Blog 3: What is Mission Engineering (ME)?

Mission Engineering as defined by the Department of Defense (https://ac.cto.mil/mission-engineering/) “is the deliberate planning, analyzing, organizing, and integrating of current and emerging operational and system capabilities to achieve desired warfighting effects.”

In practice, ME is the purview of the operational community, informed by threats and intelligence, scenarios and vignettes, current and evolving solutions, and technology revolution. Mission engineering artifacts inform outcomes and decisions.

Mission Engineering stakeholders are myriad – mission execution is not a single-organization effort. Authorities, responsibilities, oversight, and resourcing are allocated among an expansive team due to the enterprise nature of the mission. Data and analysis are key tools in determining the right path for mission execution and success. While systems engineering and integration (SE&I) are critical processes for ME, the difference lies in the application of SE&I to operations, ensuring that the warfighter can execute the mission on their terms.

DoD Mission Engineering Guide: https://ac.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MEG_2_Oct2023.pdf

Next blog topic: What is Systems Engineering (SE)?