A system for a gas turbine engine, the system comprising: a network of a plurality of sensing devices (68;400;500) configured to be distributed throughout the gas turbine engine, each of the sensing devices (68;400;500) associated with at least one sub-system component (70,74) of the gas turbine engine and operable to communicate via a plurality of first electromagnetic signals and each of the sensing devices (68;400;500) is optionally operable as a control and/or identification device; shielding (76,84) surrounding at least one of the sensing devices (68;400;500) to contain the EM signals proximate to the respectively associated at least one sub-system component (70,74) and prevent outside interference from a cyber-security EM interference or environmental EM interference; and a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing devices (68;400;500) via the first EM signals; and a waveguide (200;250) comprising a waveguide transmitter interface (202;252), and a waveguide transition interface, wherein the waveguide is operable to route a portion of the first EM signals through the waveguide transmitter interface (202;252), a waveguide medium (204;254,264), and the waveguide transition interface to the at least one of the sensing devices (68;400;500); characterized by: an EM sensing system comprising an electromagnetic sensing source and an electromagnetic sensing detector configured to employ an electromagnetic sensing technique to read a plurality of second EM signals for detection of at least one condition of the at least one sub-system component (70,74) of the gas turbine engine, wherein at least one of the sensing devices (68;400;500) is configured to further communicate with at least one other component via at least one of the second EM signals. a network of a plurality of sensing devices (68;400;500) configured to be distributed throughout the gas turbine engine, each of the sensing devices (68;400;500) associated with at least one sub-system component (70,74) of the gas turbine engine and operable to communicate via a plurality of first electromagnetic signals and each of the sensing devices (68;400;500) is optionally operable as a control and/or identification device; shielding (76,84) surrounding at least one of the sensing devices (68;400;500) to contain the EM signals proximate to the respectively associated at least one sub-system component (70,74) and prevent outside interference from a cyber-security EM interference or environmental EM interference; and a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing devices (68;400;500) via the first EM signals; and a waveguide (200;250) comprising a waveguide transmitter interface (202;252), and a waveguide transition interface, wherein the waveguide is operable to route a portion of the first EM signals through the waveguide transmitter interface (202;252), a waveguide medium (204;254,264), and the waveguide transition interface to the at least one of the sensing devices (68;400;500); characterized by: an EM sensing system comprising an electromagnetic sensing source and an electromagnetic sensing detector configured to employ an electromagnetic sensing technique to read a plurality of second EM signals for detection of at least one condition of the at least one sub-system component (70,74) of the gas turbine engine, wherein at least one of the sensing devices (68;400;500) is configured to further communicate with at least one other component via at least one of the second EM signals.