Digital engineering, modular design key to MOSA progress for Navy, official says
NewsAugust 28, 2025
NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland. The Department of the Navy is pushing modular design and digital engineering to the forefront as it works to implement Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) principles across shipbuilding, aviation, submarine, and Marine Corps programs, said Peter Reddy, deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development, test and engineering (DASN (RDT&E)), during his presentation at the MOSA Summit here Thursday.
Reddy pointed to the Navy’s complexity, with six systems commands and about 14 program executive offices, as a central challenge in applying MOSA across domains. He added that Adm. Daryl Caudle, who recently became Chief of Naval Operations, identified “modularization” and “scalability” as his first priorities.
“To pull the naval force together, we need to integrate these capabilities,” Reddy said. “We have to create a naval and joint effect in combat, and we have to integrate that.”
The Navy is advancing MOSA through examples such as the Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical System (SWFTS), the Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA), and the Weapons Open Systems Architecture (WOSA). Cybersecurity standards like the DoD Zero Trust reference architecture are also being aligned with operational architectures. Programs such as the GPS-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Service (GPNTS) have adopted open interfaces to allow upgrades in software-defined environments, helping address shipboard constraints on space, weight, and power.
Central to Reddy’s portfolio is building digital environments to accelerate MOSA adoption. He highlighted the Navy’s Collaborative Digital Environment (CDE) and the Naval Integrated Modeling Environment (IME) as tools to connect program offices, contractors, and sustainment teams.
However, Reddy stressed that technical specifications aren't the only challenge. “It’s a cultural thing as much as a technical or specification and a business thing, but they’re all tied together,” he said. “We need to continue to drive the investment and the ability to deliver modern capabilities and operationally relevant timeline to achieve our objectives.”
