Book Launch: Organizing for a Complex World: Developing Tomorrow's Defense and Net-Centric Systems

Government agencies, primarily the U.S. Department of Defense, currently face an unparalleled leap in complexity as they work to create defense and net-centric systems-of-systems. As weapons systems become more intricate, requirements mount and capabilities increase. Gaining the maximum benefit from technological innovations will require not only overcoming significant engineering challenges, but, just as importantly, confronting fundamental and profound policy, organizational, and governance issues.

Dr. John Hamre, President and CEO, CSIS, introduced the session. Pierre Chao, Senior Associate, CSIS, and David Berteau, Director, Defense Industrial Initiatives Group, CSIS, briefed participants on the wide range of perspectives presented in the book on the complexity challenges facing the Department of Defense and the industrial base that supports it. Kristen Baldwin, Deputy Director, Software Engineering and System Assurance, Department of Defense, discussed the DoD perspectives on some of the issues raised in the book.