Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech)
Abstract
The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program funds the advanced technology development needed to achieve a responsive, efficient domestic industrial base that meets the warfighters' needs in an affordable and timely manner. The ManTech program works with DLA’s diverse supply chains to improve manufacturing capability throughout a product's life cycle. It provides the crucial link between invention and application by maturing, scaling up, and validating advanced manufacturing technology in “real world” environments. ManTech developments provide a path to low-risk technology implementation for many small businesses and defense unique suppliers as well as depots and shipyards that are critical to DLA. By anticipating and addressing production and sustainment problems before they occur, readiness levels increase and sustainment costs are lower. DLA ManTech is aligned into three Strategic Focus Areas (SFA): 1) Improving Industrial Base Manufacturing Processes (IIBM); 2) Maintaining Viable Sources of Supply (MVSS); and 3) Improving Technical and Logistics Information (ITLI). • The IIBM SFA includes efforts to reduce industrial base material costs and production lead-times, while improving the quality of DLA managed products. This SFA has supply chain focused execution portfolios for food (Subsistence Network), Castings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Advanced Casting Technology), Forgings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Forging Advance System Technology), Batteries (Battery Network) and Additive Manufacturing. • MVSS includes efforts to assure the commercial industrial base can satisfy DLA materiel requirements without relying on foreign sources for microcircuits. This strategic focus area mitigates supply issues caused by the lack of a reliable domestic manufacturing capability to produce products or raw materials needed to build and maintain weapon systems. The major focus of the program is maintaining a reliable, trusted, domestic source for “non-procurable” linear and digital microcircuits. Microcircuit emulation allows the Services to save significant costs by using form, fit and functionally equivalent spare parts rather than redesigning the next-higher-assembly. • The ITLI SFA includes efforts to improve and facilitate the exchange of engineering and logistics information among DLA, the Military Services, DLA industry partners and DLA customers. It includes the Military Unique Sustainment Technology (MUST) and the Defense Logistics Information Research (DLIR) programs. A primary focus of this SFA is to capitalize on the emerging “Model Based Enterprise” paradigm and the semantic web as an enabler to a logistics system that is smart and connected up and down the supply chain and across all DLA Customers and suppliers. A major focus is to transform DoD engineering data from two-dimensional paper-based products to three-dimensional computer based models, and to develop processes to move from “electronic paper” (i.e. PDF files) to technical data files that can interface directly with industries’ engineering systems. The benefits include shorter product introduction cycles, lower set up-costs for parts production and more economical small batch production. DLA’s focus for this budget cycle highlights advanced capabilities in digital and technical data modernization, management and analytics to fulfill the DLA role in the DOD Digital Engineering Strategy and improve sharing of data with the industrial base and supported organizations. Investment explores technologies to lower the Agency’s material acquisition and operations costs and improve weapons systems support. This effort spans across both DLA R&D Program Elements and multiple Strategic Focus Areas, impacting across the DOD Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel and DLA Enterprise logistics processes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2021
- Source ID
- 0603680S_3_0400_PB_2021
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY2020, increased baseline by $10.000 million for program increase steel performance initiative in Castings. FY2020, Small Business Innovation Research and Small Technology Transfer Research tax amounted to $1.832 million. FY2021, internal realignment decreased program baseline by $0.730 million for critical Defense Property Accountability System redesign and upgrade requirements. The FY 2021 funding request was reduced by $2.280 million during the Defense-Wide Review to free up resources for higher priority Department needs.
- Service Agency Name
- Defense Logistics Agency
Entities
Organizations
- Defense Logistics Agency
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