Industrial Base & Aging Weapon System Support
Abstract
Industrial Base (IB) and Aging Weapon System Support Line of Effort (LOE 1) seeks to implement innovative and proactive technology solutions to ensure a robust, reliable industrial base that provides affordable and previously hard-to-procure critical parts for DOD weapon systems through the following objectives: 1. Viable and Responsive Industrial Base: maximize Defense Industrial Base capability and capacity and improve availability, quality, and affordability to support the Warfighter. 2. Obsolescence Solutions: establish a trusted manufacturing capability for qualified microcircuits to support DOD weapon system lifecycles. 3. Advanced Manufacturing: leverage advanced manufacturing capabilities to introduce and integrate additive and advanced manufacturing concepts into the DOD supply chain. The portfolios within the IB and Aging Weapons System Support LOE include food-service supply chain solutions (Subsistence Network), Castings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Advanced Casting Technology), Forgings (Procurement Readiness Optimization—Forging Advanced System Technology), Batteries (Battery Network), Additive Manufacturing (AM), and Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME). The Subsistence Network (SUBNET) program focuses on solutions to develop and promote manufacturing improvements in the subsistence supply chain. The program's expanded areas of interest include combat rations, food equipment, field feeding solutions, food footprint, food innovations, food safety and defense developments, garrison feeding, nutrition and health, storage and packing solutions, surge and sustainment support, and water security. SUBNET forms a community of practice with Military Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natick Soldier Research Development, and Engineering Center; Academia, and Industry to research and promote manufacturing improvements in the Subsistence Supply Chain. The SUBNET goals are to utilize innovation and the leverage the latest technologies to maximize the logistics capability and capacity within the subsistence supply chain industrial base. The desired outcomes include reduced cost, increased efficiencies, improved processes, enhanced quality, and improved surge demand capabilities. The Casting program works to ensure a stable, reliable, and competitive domestic casting industrial base supporting the weapon system needs of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The casting program works with industry, universities, and the Casting Industry Associations to identify projects that improve the materials, processes and business practices of the nation’s foundry industry. The program aligns projects with strategic issues and identified focus areas within the DLA and DOD. Guidance for these projects comes from the DLA Strategic Plan and input from the casting industry. Weapon system spare parts managed by DLA that contain castings are responsible for a disproportionate share of DLA’s backorders or unfilled orders (UFOs). Cast parts are about two percent of National Stock Numbered Class IX parts but represent about five percent of all backorders, and when only the oldest backorders are considered, up to 10 percent are castings. This program includes tasks that focus on developing new capabilities in the areas of inspection, materials, processes, modeling, and design. Once developed, these capabilities will support the foundry industry, where the technologies will be tested and implemented, most often in conjunction with the casting industry associations. These advancements improve the metal casting supply chains for the DOD and the DLA to better support the warfighter. We will invest in projects aimed at reducing lead-time, reducing cost, and improving quality of castings critical to DOD weapon systems. The Forging program works to ensure a stable, reliable, and competitive domestic forging industrial base for the weapon system needs of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Working with industry, universities, and the Forging Industry Association to identify projects that improve the materials, processes and business practices of the nation’s forging industry. The program aligns its projects with strategic issues and focus areas identified within the DLA and DOD. Guidance for these projects comes from the DLA Strategic Plan and input from the forging industry. Weapon system spare parts managed by DLA that contain Forgings are responsible for a disproportionate share of DLA’s backorders or unfilled orders (UFOs). Forged parts are about two percent of National Stock Number (NSN) Class IX parts but represent about five percent of all backorders, and when only the oldest backorders are considered, up to 10 percent are forgings. This program includes tasks to develop new capabilities in the areas of inspection, materials, processes, modeling, and design. Once developed these capabilities will support the forging industry, where these technologies will be tested and implemented in conjunction with the forging industry associations. These advancements improve the forging supply chains for the DOD and the DLA to better support the warfighter. We will invest in projects aimed at reducing lead-time, reducing cost, and improving quality of forgings critical to DOD weapon systems. The Battery Network (BATTNET) program objective is to develop the next generation of battery manufacturing technologies for cost and price efficiency, longer shelf life, and lighter batteries with higher energy. BATTNET conducts R&D initiatives to address sustainment gaps and bridge technical solutions into higher a Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) for specific groups of batteries. BATTNET also focuses on projects to develop the production capability for advanced lithium-based non-rechargeable and rechargeable batteries to ensure the prompt and sustained availability, quality, and affordability of Service approved batteries. Desired outcomes include: streamlined inventory and associated cost reductions through standardization and improved distribution practices; resolved obsolescence issues; addressed surge and sustainment issues; enhanced security of supply chain; increased competition and manufacturing base; reduced per unit battery cost; and leveraged Service-level (Army, Navy, Air Force) and other governmental (DOE, DOT, NASA) R&D efforts to insert new technology and practices into the existing DLA battery inventory. The Additive Manufacturing (AM) program objective is to streamline customer purchase requests for AM items and provide the Warfighter an alternate source of supply for designated requirements. This effort responds to DLA's role called out in DOD Instruction 5000.93, Use of AM in DOD to integrate AM into the supply chain, by leading the development of effective AM procurement processes. The AM effort explores innovative technologies as it pursues this alternate means of supply for products that are otherwise non-procurable or susceptible to procurement issues. The AM effort includes collaborative efforts with the Military Services to develop analytical tools to identify viable AM candidates while considering logistics planning factors. The AM effort requires effective management of the digital thread composed of authoritative 3D digital technical, manufacturing and testing data exchanged among designers, engineers, maintainers, logisticians, procurement managers and the vendor base to enable quality assurance acceptability. Potential AM benefits include products that can address an unfulfilled Warfighter readiness need by reducing production lead times, production costs, storage costs, transportation costs and in some cases fuel consumption due to lighter design and material options. DLA R&D will leverage these efforts with Industry, Academia and ongoing Military Service-level agreements (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Department of Energy. Advanced Microcircuit Emulation (AME) program objective is to maintain a reliable and 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. Without the technologies planned on the AME Roadmap, DLA will not be able to support DoD’s requirements for high quality spare parts for critical electronic systems and subsystems, resulting in decreased warfighter readiness and significant cost for weapons system or component redesign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2024
- Source ID
- IBA_0603680S_3_0400_PB_2024