Node A6 · Acronym decoder
EMD
Engineering and Manufacturing Development
What it actually means
The acquisition phase between Milestone B and Milestone C where the system is fully designed, prototyped, qualified, and readied for production — historically where cost and schedule overruns concentrate, because it's where paper designs meet physics. "Entering EMD" is shorthand for a program getting serious.
Where you'll meet it
DoD program phase charts; Milestone B approves entry into EMD.