“A bill to promote innovation and advanced manufacturing in the Department of Defense and the defense industrial base, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section prohibits the Secretary of Defense from operating or entering into or renewing contracts to procure (1) covered additive manufacturing machines (i.e., 3D printers and related systems manufactured by covered companies or in, using software from, or connected to data storage administered by entities in covered foreign countries—China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia) or (2) systems that incorporate, interface with, or use such machines. The prohibition does not apply to operations or procurements for testing, analysis, and training related to intelligence, electronic warfare, or information warfare; and the Secretary may waive it on a case-by-case basis by certifying in writing to the congressional defense committees that it is required in the national interest.
This section expands the demonstration and prototyping program to advance international product support capabilities in a contested logistics environment, as established by Section 842 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31), by adding commercial advanced, digital manufacturing facilities for rapid, distributed parts production closer to the point of use. (As background, the program develops allied sustainment capabilities—leveraging 10 U.S.C. §2341 authorities for foreign logistic support—to maintain U.S. weapons systems in areas where traditional supply chains may be disrupted.)
This section directs the Secretary of Defense to establish one or more dual-use advanced manufacturing hubs that co-locate and share resources among public and private stakeholders from industry, academia, government, nongovernmental agencies, and workforce and economic development entities. The hubs must span the full spectrum of advanced manufacturing capabilities across the development timeline from prototyping to fielding and meet the following requirements: (1) utilize, to the maximum extent practicable, the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs)—public-private partnerships that develop manufacturing technologies—and encourage MII coordination; (2) provide shared infrastructure and equipment such as high-speed metal printers and material testing laboratories; (3) establish processes to deliver advanced manufacturing capabilities, including in shared classified spaces as needed; (4) utilize the Defense Logistics Agency’s Joint Additive Manufacturing Model Exchange (JAMMEX) as a central repository for technical data packages; (5) build on the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue Manufacturing Initiative and Marketplace to match defense hardware and software manufacturers with advanced manufacturing providers; and (6) meet annual production benchmarks for defense applications. The Secretary must consult with the Under Secretaries of Defense for Research and Engineering and for Acquisition and Sustainment, and submit to the congressional defense committees by September 30, 2026, a recommendation on the appropriate number of regional hubs needed to meet Department of Defense sustainment requirements, along with any necessary specifications and capabilities.
This section directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, to aim to qualify and approve for manufacturing and delivery not fewer than 1,000,000 Department of Defense parts or components using advanced manufacturing techniques by December 31, 2027, subject to the availability of appropriations or other funds. The Secretary must ensure expedited processes for adopting such products across DoD components and lifecycle phases for new and existing systems.
This section directs the Secretary of Defense, not later than September 30, 2026, to carry out a program to certify new materials and processes to manufacture 25 to 100 percent of the parts of one small unmanned aerial system (UAS) in each of the following categories using advanced or additive manufacturing techniques: (1) tactical loitering munitions, (2) surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and (3) logistics missions.
This section establishes a program to produce, test, evaluate, and certify replacement parts for military systems with diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages (DMSMS) using additive manufacturing techniques. Not later than September 30, 2026, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Secretaries of the military departments, shall (1) select at least five parts for such activities; (2) base evaluations on performance rather than specifications; (3) share test data across military departments and establish data reciprocity mechanisms; (4) compile a list of all such parts; and (5) create new licensing agreements with intellectual property owners to authorize additive manufacturing of listed parts.
This section directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to carry out a program across all military departments to additively manufacture three commonly used metal parts per department (e.g., titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum). The section further requires the Under Secretary to complete, by September 30, 2026, an assessment of how to additively manufacture 10 metal parts per department—with a preference for parts that require long lead times or have sole-source suppliers—and to submit a report on the assessment to the congressional defense committees.
This section directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with the Secretary of the Army and the Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, to carry out the following actions with respect to additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) for Army ground combat systems: (1) identify sustainment vulnerabilities in the Army's ground equipment supply chain, including at manufacturing arsenals and maintenance depots that comprise the Organic Industrial Base (OIB), where additive manufacturing could repair, upgrade, or modernize such systems; (2) select at least five parts with long lead times, highly customized specifications, or limited inventory quantities and additively manufacture replacement parts for them; (3) create a critical parts list of components across ground combat systems with long lead times that are eligible for additive manufacturing; and (4) develop plans, in coordination with Army Futures Command, to integrate additive manufacturing into the design, production, and sustainment of next-generation combat vehicles, prioritizing interoperability across military platforms and integration with other military services. (Thus, the provision aims to mitigate supply chain risks for Army tanks, Bradleys, and other ground vehicles by enabling faster, on-demand part production at OIB facilities.)
This section directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to establish a subordinate working group within the Joint Additive Manufacturing Working Group to coordinate international activities on advanced manufacturing techniques, technologies, and adoption. The working group is to facilitate information-sharing, enhance interoperability, explore joint research and development opportunities, identify technology licensing requirements, incorporate advanced manufacturing capabilities into combined trainings and exercises, and set technical expertise and training standards with countries that have reciprocal defense procurement agreements or security of supply arrangements with the United States.
This section requires the Under Secretaries of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and Research and Engineering, in consultation with military department secretaries and by September 30, 2026, to (1) develop guidance incorporating advanced manufacturing innovations (i.e., additive manufacturing, advanced materials, composites, robotics, laser/machining/welding, nanotechnology, and network/IT integration) to accelerate DoD capability delivery, operations sustainment, and warfighter protection while ensuring quality, reliability, and compatibility; (2) update DoD Instruction 5000.93 (June 10, 2021, on additive manufacturing) to waive record-keeping for additively produced end-items meeting or exceeding traditional performance; (3) create a manual establishing performance-based technical standards, expedited qualification procedures (per FY2025 NDAA §865), data reciprocity across military departments to avoid redundant testing, streamlined incremental qualification for design/process changes, third-party certification options, advanced materials/composites research protocols (including integrated computational materials engineering and critical metals stockpiling accessible via JAMMEX), cybersecurity standards with periodic reviews, and AI-enabled modeling/simulation; and (4) by March 1, 2026, brief the Senate and House Armed Services Committees on plans for the guidance and instruction updates. The guidance must align DoD acquisition with flexibility, interoperability, and domestic sourcing—preferring U.S. manufacturers with justifications for foreign sources and directing funds to DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes where feasible—and consider specified DoD roadmaps, strategies, and instructions. (Thus, these measures aim to standardize and expedite advanced manufacturing adoption across DoD, reducing testing redundancies and barriers for domestic innovators.)