Pat Host
A modular open systems approach, a.k.a. MOSA, is one of the most well known terms in military contracting. Introduced decades ago, it is the ability for DOD to “plug and play” components, allowing it to upgrade and modernize weapon systems faster, easier and cheaper.
DOD has had a habit of developing weapon systems that can only be updated or maintained by a single contractor, limiting chances for integrating cutting edge technologies from new vendors or cost-saving sustainment competition. But despite the promise that MOSA holds for improving how DOD acquires technologies and recent legislation directing DOD to use it whenever possible, not all acquisition programs have wholly embraced the strategy.
The Government Accountability Office said in a January report that 14 of 20 programs it reviewed reported implementing MOSA to at least some extent. Other efforts cited hurdles in doing so, such as added time and cost to perform similar design work.
“While a MOSA has potential benefits, it may also require programs to conduct additional planning, such as to ensure they address cybersecurity aspects related to a MOSA,” GAO said.
The Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit on June 18 is your opportunity to hear directly from leading Army engineering experts on how the service is implementing MOSA. Industry members can learn how to win more government contracts by offering the service cutting-edge technologies for rapid upgrades. The MOSA panel promises to be a captivating discussion. Register today!
Does DOD Need MOSA?
A pair of DOD leaders argue that conflicts in the Middle East and eastern Europe where technology has rapidly evolved on technologically-dynamic battlefields demonstrates the necessity of MOSA. Nick Guertin, assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition, and Jacob Glassman, a senior technical advisor in the office, said in a Defense News op-ed that while many U.S. weapon systems deployed by allies in these theaters have been successful, some fast became neutralized by enemies using new weapon system technologies such as counter navigation and electronic warfare.
MOSA, the pair said, will allow DOD to use systems that can adopt novel functions and capabilities. The approach would enable a fast sharing of capability, slash redundant development and further broaden the industrial base.
MOSA Implementation Guidance
DOD’s office of the under secretary for research and engineering in February published a guidebook for implementing MOSA in its programs. The document provides MOSA best practices such as planning, implementation and evaluation. This includes implementation principles, benefits, challenges and suggestions based on experiences from practitioners in DOD and GovCon.
For the 2025 Army Summit, the Potomac Officers Club has put together an all-star lineup of engineering experts to answer all your questions about how to implement MOSA best practices. These accomplished professionals are tremendously qualified to provide insights into DOD’s latest efforts to harness the benefits of MOSA in its weapon systems.
Rosemary Kramer
Moderator
Rosemary Kramer, the practice area director of digital engineering at LMI, leads the development and growth of digital engineering and model-based systems engineering, a.k.a. MBSE, capabilities. With over two decades of experience in engineering and leadership, Kramer has a proven track record of ensuring robust technology development across the product lifecycle for both commercial and DOD systems technologies. She combines strategic thinking, technical expertise and tactical adaptability to drive innovation and deliver exceptional results.
Prior to joining LMI, Kramer led and scaled MBSE efforts for the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Aviation, focusing on MOSA-aligned system architecture development for major system components. Kramer’s career has also included roles as quality manager at Abaco Systems and GATR Technologies and as a production engineer at Toyota Motor North America.
Daniel Hettema
Daniel Hettema serves as the director of digital engineering, modeling and simulation within the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Senior leaders seek his expertise in overseeing policy, guidance and foundational research that advances the workforce and accelerates the adoption of digital engineering.
Under Hettema’s leadership, participation in the Community of Practice and interactions within the Digital Engineering Body of Knowledge have experienced significant growth, as evidenced by a more than 1,000 percent increase. Additionally, Hettema created an annual federal government-wide knowledge exchange event dedicated to digital engineering and drove the development of acquisition policy DODI 5000.98, Digital Engineering.
Hettema provides experience in both industry and government supporting the Department of Energy and the intelligence community.
John Van Houten
John Van Houten is a well-known aviation engineering expert in the Army. He became the assistant program executive officer for engineering and architecture and chief engineer in the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Aviation in January 2024. He manages architecture efforts and MOSA initiatives as well as promotes digital engineering and organizational digital transformation.
Van Houten previously spent nearly a year as deputy chief engineer from March 2023 to January 2024. He also spent time as a chief system engineer for the Missile Defense Agency from November 2016 to August 2018.
Dave Walsh
Dave Walsh is the chief technology officer at Parry Labs, which provides modular systems integration services. Walsh is a proven strategic engineering leader and U.S. Army aviation subject matter expert. He has deep experience in aircraft and ground system development, hardware and software integration and next-generation research and development.
Prior to joining Parry, Walsh was director of open systems for military avionics and helicopters at Collins Aerospace, where he led an organizational transformation to instantiate the company’s Mosarc product line, a fully MOSA-compliant solution.
Walsh was previously unmanned aerial system chief engineer at Leidos and system integration lead for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. Walsh spent four years as a standardization instructor pilot with the U.S. Army where he created the aircrew training program for the first MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS unit to successfully assemble in the U.S.
Some of Walsh’s specialties include requirements development, model-based engineering, agile and waterfall software development and simulated integration lab test.
The Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Army Summit on June 18 will bring together a distinguished cohort of Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers to discuss new MOSA integration strategies on revolutionary aircraft such as Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft tiltrotor. Gain exclusive insights unavailable anywhere else and strike up new partnerships with leading GovCons in a supportive, collaborative environment. Tickets are selling fast, buy one today!
