The Department of the Navy has released a new strategy outlining guiding principles and providing a comprehensive framework for developing and transitioning advanced manufacturing technologies.
The U.S. Navy said Thursday the inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Strategy focuses on three lines of effort to expand DON’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to meet the current and future needs of the Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps.
3 Lines of Effort
The strategy’s three lines of effort, or LOE, are harnessing cutting-edge commercial capabilities for strategic advancement; modernizing organic depots and strengthening intermediate capabilities; and strengthening warfighter self-sufficiency for mission access.
Each LOE has several strategic goals. To harness cutting-edge commercial capabilities, strategic goals include achieving increased advanced manufacturing commercial production through acquisition programs spanning shipbuilding, munitions, aviation and land systems and expanding the department’s engineering certification and qualifications to enable commercial advanced manufacturing.
Cross-Cutting Enablers
The department has identified five cross-cutting enablers to facilitate the delivery of advanced manufacturing technologies at scale across the three lines of effort: governance, manufacturing technology maturity, standards, digital architecture and workforce development.
To achieve manufacturing tech maturity, the document calls for DON to prioritize mission critical technologies that can benefit from advanced manufacturing; adopt an agile approach to quickly adapt to emerging technologies; and integrate advanced manufacturing technologies to facilitate rapid prototyping, on-demand production and development of complex, lightweight components.
What Is Advanced Manufacturing?
According to the document, advanced manufacturing encompasses several technologies that fabricate, rework, repair or reverse engineer components or parts through novel approaches, such as 3D printing or additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing, advanced machining and cold spray and directed energy deposition. These technologies have significant implications and applications for naval warfare and the defense industrial base.
“The leveraging of these cutting-edge innovations will allow the Navy and Marine Corps to maintain dominance,” said Nickolas Guertin, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.
“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,” added Guertin, a previous Wash100 awardee.
