United States manufacturing and innovation are essential to American economic and national security.  Maintaining U.S. influence and access to markets in a stable global environment contributes to our prosperity and standard of living. It is the responsibility of the Department of Defense (DoD) to innovate and equip our forces with the best tools possible, made by Americans. The DoD Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) enterprise attempts to utilize advanced manufacturing to rebuild our military, reestablish deterrence, and revive the warrior ethos.


The mission of the program is to anticipate and close gaps in manufacturing capabilities for affordable, timely, and low-risk development, production, and sustainment of defense systems through technology development and adoption and training.

 

U.S. Department of Defense, Manufacturing Technology Program: Developing Disruptive & Transformational Solutions

If we can't make it, the warfighter can't have it!
This video highlights a few of the innovative projects DoD ManTech has supported across DoD. 

The vision of the program is a responsive, world-class manufacturing capability to affordability and rapidly meet warfighter needs throughout the defense system life cycle, within the Defense Industrial and Organic Base.

 
Although DoD ManTech has a singular mission and shared strategic vision, all of the projects and initiatives are selected and executed through the Military Services and DoD Agencies.  Each Component has its own ManTech program, with organization-specific processes, mandates, and procedures for executing their projects:
 
  • Army ManTech Program facilitates a partnership among the Science and Technology (S&T) community, industry, the Army’s organic industrial base (OIB), the Program Executive Offices and Product Managers to ensure viable and realistic transition of technology to a program of record. The Army uses a broad spectrum of applications with a focus on initiatives for ground, air, network, Soldier, and weapon systems and platforms.
  • Navy ManTech Program concentrates resources on reducing both the acquisition and life-cycle costs of key Navy acquisition programs. Navy ManTech transitions manufacturing technology which, when implemented, results in a cost reduction or cost avoidance. Navy ManTech develops an integrated investment strategy that is approved annually by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) leadership. 
  • Air Force ManTech Program invests in five technology pillars: Advanced Concepts; Hypersonic Strike; Attritable and Low-Cost Systems; Networked Command, Control, and Communication Systems; and Emerging Technology.
  • DLA Research and Development (R&D) employs two major lines of effort: Industrial Base and Aging Weapon System Support and Three-Dimensional (3D) Technical Data Modernization/Model Based Enterprise. Focus areas include: Advanced Microcircuit Emulation, Batteries, Digital Twin/Digital Thread, Additive Manufacturing, Castings and Forgings, Subsistence, and Clothing and Textiles. 
  • OSD MSTP focuses on a diverse set of identified joint, defense-critical, and sometimes high-risk manufacturing technology areas. The portfolio works on cross-cutting national security manufacturing needs to stimulate the early development of manufacturing processes concurrent with technology development and workforce training.
The directors and senior managers of these programs coordinate through the auspices of the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP).  The JDMTP is chartered to identify and integrate requirements, conduct joint program planning, and develop joint strategies.  DoD oversight of the ManTech Programs is provided by the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The 2022 DoD ManTech Program Strategic Plan focuses on four thrust areas for the next five years.  It provides the basis for the coordination of DoD Service and Agency ManTech efforts and provides plans to our stakeholders, other government entities, industry, and academia. 
 
Guided by nine goals under the four thrust areas, the DoD ManTech enterprise focuses on delivering high-priority solutions across the portfolio of manufacturing technology investments to meet defense manufacturing needs: 
 
Thrust Area 1:  Advance Manufacturing Technology
  • Goal 1.1:  Identify and prioritize manufacturing technology or capability gaps to meet Service and Agency missions
  • Goal 1.2:  Advance the state of manufacturing maturity and enhance production and sustainment
Thrust Area 2:  Strengthen Joint Planning and Coordination
  • Goal 2.1:  Define national needs and technology imperatives
  • Goal 2.2:  Identify and prioritize multi-Service or -Agency DoD manufacturing gaps via Joint Manufacturing Planning Initiatives
  • Goal 2.3:  Develop tailored management and investment approaches
Thrust Area 3:  Expand Outreach and Communication
  • Goal 3.1:  Foster alignment with external stakeholders to address manufacturing gaps and bolster supply chain resiliency
  • Goal 3.2:  Disseminate program results throughout the industrial base to enable transition
Thrust Area 4:  Educate and Develop Manufacturing Workforce
  • Goal 4.1:  Identify current and future education and workforce requirements for the DoD organic and industrial base
  • Goal 4.2:  Strengthen the educational pipeline and develop a next-generation manufacturing workforce
DoD ManTech employs an array of management tools, measures, and metrics to guide the program and ensure results.  In short, this strategic plan explains how the DoD ManTech Program enables swift technology transition from concept to successful fielding.
DoD ManTech Media
The DoD ManTech Program anticipates gaps in manufacturing capabilities and invests in developing high-tech solutions to close those deficiencies within the U.S. industrial base. We work through several investment portfolios to drive innovation in the defense industrial base. In this series of videos, Director Keith DeVries and DoD ManTech program managers explain how they help fulfill that mission.
DoD ManTech Director Keith DeVries
DoD ManTech invests in American manufacturing research and development to equip our warfighters with the most cutting-edge capabilities available. We need to be ahead of our adversaries in every aspect of defense operations, with the ability to rapidly innovate to fit the requirements of our warfighters wherever their mission takes them. Advanced manufacturing not only guarantees our Nation’s security by better preparing our warfighters, it also ensures U.S. economic growth with a vibrant, technology-driven industrial base and the highly-skilled, well-paid workforce that goes along with it.
Steve Recchia, Program Manager for the DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes
Have a great idea that will innovate defense manufacturing? The Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program recently launched a Broad Other Transaction Announcement (BOTA) to help visionaries find the right vehicle for their project. Steve Recchia, Program Manager for the DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, explains that the initiative allows traditional and non-traditional defense contractors or vendors to submit a white paper directly to his office.
David Koch, Defense Logistics Agency’s Logistics Research and Development program
DoD ManTech doesn’t just stumble across challenges, it looks for them - forecasting warfighter needs and then working with America’s industrial base to find timely, affordable and low-risk solutions that offer the greatest capabilities to all Armed Services. The Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) is an integral part of the process, ensuring coordination and collaboration among the Services, identifying their shared needs to help reduce the cost of investment and guarantee a more reliable market for suppliers. Investing in and supporting the U.S. advanced manufacturing sector is crucial to our Nation’s security and economic stability. DoD ManTech supports these efforts through collaboration with industry, academia, federal agencies and all Armed Services.

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Content from the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (DoD MIIs) are controlled by the individual DoD MIIs
and do not represent or speak for the Department of Defense.