The mission of the Electronics Processing and Fabrication Subpanel ("Electronics Subpanel") is to identify and integrate requirements for electronics manufacturing across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Logistics Agency, Missile Defense Agency, Office of Secretary of Defense, Department of Energy (Sandia Labs), industry, and academia.  The Electronics Subpanel identifies common needs, fosters joint project planning, and conducts annual portfolio reviews to coordinate all Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology (DoD ManTech) Program electronics projects to eliminate unwarranted duplication and identify common requirements.

The Subpanel discusses and remains cognizant of state-of-the-art electronics technology developments and innovative and disruptive manufacturing processes by working with the DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes.  The Subpanel also collaborates with its academia and industry members to address critical technology areas, and participates in electronics forums such as the Defense Manufacturing Conference, Microelectronics Integrity Meeting, and Flex Conference held annually. 

The Electronics Subpanel conducts joint DoD component project planning and holds quarterly meetings and an annual portfolio review to conduct peer reviews of the joint DoD components electronics projects.  The Subpanel goal is to collaborate and enhance manufacturing technology transition among the DoD components, other government agencies, industry, and academia.  The Subpanel has established five Technical Working Groups that assess critical warfighter technologies needed in the areas of power sources, radio frequency (RF) modules, conventional and flexible hybrid electronics, energetics and warheads, and directed energy.  The Electronics Subpanel contributes to the overall goal of the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) and the DoD ManTech Program to improve mission capability, improve readiness, and reduce total ownership costs.

 

Listed below is a top down decomposition of the technical areas of investment for the Electronics Subpanel

• Electro-optics
• Integrated photonics
• RF system and vacuum tube component technologies
• Power and energy sources
• Energetics and warheads
• Electronics packaging and assembly
• Directed energy
• Printed electronics and innovative and disruptive electronics manufacturing
• Electromagnetic windows and domes
• Modeling, processes, and testing in support of both new production and sustainment/readiness activities for fielded systems

 

Joint Technology Pursuit Areas (JTPAs) are joint Military Service and DoD Agency manufacturing research and development (R&D) topics of strategic interest that are developed by each JDMTP Subpanel.  The Subpanels provide a rigorous internal analysis and prioritization of the JDMTP portfolio.  To date, JTPAs continue to be an excellent tool to communicate joint technical priorities to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Technology Office leadership and the collective DoD ManTech stakeholder community.  These JTPAs identify joint-Service investment opportunities predicted to produce the highest value, affordable, leading edge defense capabilities to meet the near term needs of our warfighters.

• Circuit Boards and Interconnects
• Electronics for Harsh Environments
• Electronic Attack and Sensing
• Heterogeneous Integration

By charter, the Chairman of the Electronics Subpanel has established three Technical Working Groups (TWGs) through the years for the purpose of creating collaboration between the DoD components on specific critical technical areas.   The TWGs are responsible for identifying and integrating requirements, conducting joint program planning, creating roadmaps, and developing a joint strategy.   These existing TWGs are:
 

1. Power Sources Technical Working Group - The Power Source TWG (PSTWG) coordinates and formulate solutions to ManTech issues related to energy generation and storage technologies used by all DoD components.  Technical areas of DoD investment in the power sources areas include rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries, munitions batteries, and fuel cells.  The PSTWG coordinates and strategically plans the following joint technology pursuit areas: batteries for electronics/communications applications, thermal batteries, batteries for ground vehicles, aviation, and large format, and power sources for directed energy.
2. Energetics and Warheads Technical Working Group - The Energetics and Warheads TWG (E&WTWG) coordinates and formulate solutions to ManTech issues related to explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, fuzing, and warhead technologies used by the Joint Services and Department of Energy.  Technical areas of DoD investment in the Energetics and Warheads areas include specialty energetic materials processing, energetic processing methods, warhead material fabrication, and load, assemble, and pack out.  The E&WTWG coordinates and strategically plans the following joint technology pursuit areas: propellants, explosives, Critical Energetic Material Working Group, fuzing, warheads, and pyrotechnics.
3. Directed Energy Technical Working Group - The Directed Energy TWG (DE TWG) coordinates and formulates solutions for emerging technology in the area of directed energy systems that in the past have been extremely limited and all items procured were "one-offs" (single prototypes).  The DoD need for manufacturing advancement of directed energy technology is growing as each Service plans to increase quantities exponentially each year.  The DE TWG coordinates with Army, Navy, Air Force, MDA, OSD, and JTO Directed energy programs as well as industry, and academia.  Technical areas of DoD investment in directed energy include high energy lasers and high power microwave systems.  The DE TWG coordinates and strategically plans the following joint technology pursuit areas: high power beam control components, beam director components and assemblies, high energy laser components, and improvements in DE manufacturing techniques and automation technologies for independent manufacturing.

 

The Electronics Subpanel chair is a nominated position that rotates among the Services and agencies that comprise the JDMTP.  The current chair of the Electronics Subpanel is Bryan Mitsdarffer, Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Division.

Primary organizations involved in the subpanel are from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Logistics Agency, Missile Defense Agency, Office of Secretary of Defense, Department of Energy (Sandia Labs), industry, and academia.

The Electronics Subpanel meetings are held quarterly at national locations in conjunction with other events/meetings and to tour manufacturing facilities (at the Services, academia, or institutes) in order to enhance communications and awareness.