About the Office of SE&A
The Office of Systems Engineering and Architecture (SE&A) develops and promotes innovative engineering principles and techniques to advance DoW engineering practice. SE&A develops policy, guidance, standards, and best practice resources; manages DoW Standards; facilitates engineering-related communities of practice; and develops the defense engineering workforce by refining competency models and curricula. SE&A applies engineering and risk management expertise to inform decisions and improve system-of-systems architectures to reduce integration risk in mission-enabling systems.Â
News and Events
News and events concerning SE&A.
Policy and Workforce
OUSD(R&E) SE&A Policy and Workforce (P&W) leads policy, guidance, and workforce development initiatives for the DoW engineering and technical workforce.Â
Systems Engineering
SE&A Systems Engineering (SE) focuses on modernizing SE practice, including using modular open systems approaches (MOSA) to build systems that can be upgraded to incorporate new technology and respond to emerging threats.Â
Digital Engineering, Modeling & Simulation
SE&A Digital Engineering, Modeling & Simulation (DEM&S) provides strategy, policy, guidance, and leadership to advance DoW practice in digital engineering and modeling and simulation.
Software Engineering
SE&A Software Engineering (SWE) provides highly disciplined processes for software and system architecture, design, and development to ensure quality software for the warfighter.Â
Specialty Engineering
SE&A Specialty Engineering (SpE) develops capabilities such as human systems integration (HSI), manufacturing and quality (M&Q), reliability and maintainability (R&M), and system safety engineering (SSE) are considered and applied throughout the life cycle of DoW systems.
Defense Standardization Program Office
SE&A Defense Standardization Program Office (DSPO) Identifies, develops, manages, and provides access to standardization processes and products for the defense community to promote interoperability, reduce cost, and sustain readiness.
Joint Architecture for Capabilities and Systems
SE&A Joint Architecture for Capabilities and Systems (JACS) promotes systems of systems fielded with speed, fidelity, and adaptability to enable continual evolution of U.S. warfighting dominance. Â
Developmental Test, Evaluation, and Assessments
A high performing organization that provides preeminent systems engineering (SE) and test & evaluation (T&E) support enabling rapid development from concept to delivery of relevant capability for the DoW Joint force.https://www.cto.mil/dtea/
National Engineers Week: February 22-28, 2026
The Future of Standardization – DoW Digital Standards Strategy!
DoD Adopts Human Readiness Level Standard
Released: Software Engineering for Continuous Delivery of Warfighting Capability
Info Sheets
Value Engineering Info Sheet
Released: DETECT Info Sheet
Released: SysML Transition Info Sheet
Contact Us
Office of the Under Secretary of War,
Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E))
3030 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3030
Contact Us
Contact Us
Information for the USD(R&E):
Contact OUSD(R&E) Staff
Social Media: @DoDCTO on Twitter
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