System of systems (SoS) engineering & architecture challenges in a net centric environment

As the DOD moves through the brave new world of transformation in a NetCentric environment, the importance of understanding how system engineering needs to evolve to embrace this environment becomes more urgent. System of Systems (SoS) in an environment dominated by applying NetCentric principles and influenced by our customers will, by its very nature, require us to redefine how we apply System Engineering. This paper presents observations on what will influence and define the evolution of system engineering into the SoS environment. It will highlight new competencies that will be needed in order to leverage SoS. Experimentation will be a key enabler to realize the impacts of SoS in order to understand its inherent emergent properties. What does this mean for classical system engineering as we know it today and will SE of a SoS be that much different than SE for the systems? This paper examines these issues and implication on the vision for Net Centric Operations (NCO) and Net Centric Warfare (NCW).