text: Challenging problems associated with system software complexity growth are threatening industry’s ability to build next generation safety- and security-critical embedded cyber physical weapon systems including vertical lift avionics systems. Contributors to these problems include the growth of software enabled capabilities, interaction complexity in system integration, and ambiguous, missing, incomplete, and inconsistent requirements. Problems continue to hamper systems in the areas of resource utilization, timing and scheduling, concurrency and distribution, and safety and security. A new approach called Architecture Centric Virtual Integration Process (ACVIP), based on the SAE International® Aerospace Standard AS5506C Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL), is being developed and investigated by the United States (US) Army to address these challenges. ACVIP is a compositional, quantitative, architecture-centric, model-based approach enabling virtual integration analysis in the early phases and throughout the lifecycle to detect and remove defects that currently are not found until software, hardware, and systems integration and acceptance testing. The Science & Technology (S&T) program called Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) with the Mission System Architecture Demonstration effort is developing, piloting, evaluating and maturing Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), a Comprehensive Architecture Strategy (CAS), and Model Based Engineering (MBE) including ACVIP through a number of projects with contractor teams to prepare for the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) family-of-systems. ACVIP plays a key role in addressing issues in cyber-physical systems (CPS) and can be a key contributor to the US Department of Defense (DoD) Digital Engineering Strategy. It provides a well-defined standard as a foundation for a commercial tool marketplace, a ready base for ongoing efforts in maturation and commercialization of the technology, provides early demonstrations of success, and a unique architectural contribution to authoritative source of truth (ASoT). We will first discuss the challenges in CPS development and the contribution ACVIP makes to address these challenges. We then outline how ACVIP is a key component that contributes to all five goals of the DoD Digital Engineering Strategy.