Department of the Navy Unveils First-Ever Advanced Manufacturing Blueprint

Advanced manufacturing is on the horizon for the Navy and Marine Corps, promising transformative changes. This innovative approach focuses on technologies like 3D-printing, cold spray, and robotics, aimed at fabricating and repairing military components efficiently.

According to Guertin, leveraging such state-of-the-art innovations will help the Navy and Marine Corps maintain strategic dominance. “The Department will continue to expand advanced manufacturing efforts in order to deliver lethal and affordable capabilities to the warfighter at the speed of relevance,” he stated, highlighting the critical role these technologies will play.

The strategy outlines three main efforts to enhance the Department of the Navy’s capabilities. Initially, the focus is on utilizing commercial advancements for strategic progress. The subsequent goals include boosting organic capabilities and updating depots, thereby empowering warfighters to be self-sufficient. Collaborations with industry and academia are crucial to integrating these technologies into the military’s supply chain. As Erica Plath, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Sustainment, noted, partnerships with commercial manufacturers provide access to groundbreaking technologies and efficiencies.

The Department of the Navy (DoN) also emphasizes five key enablers for scaling advanced manufacturing: governance, technology maturity, standards, digital architecture, and workforce development. BGen Forrest Poole acknowledged the immense potential of advanced manufacturing for the Marine Corps, stating that it enhances logistical resilience and supports forward-deployed units by ensuring the availability of necessary components with precision.

This strategy reinforces one of the core recommendations from the Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology Board on additive manufacturing and underlines a strong commitment to adopting advanced manufacturing on a broader scale.