Manufacturing issues make it onto the senate's defense planning & spending agenda.

Manufacturing programs at the Department of Defense have received a boost from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senators say that recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences and the Defense Science Board (DSB) raising concerns about U.S. industrial capabilities require that budgets for programs associated with the printed circuit board industry and the Pentagon's Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program receive additional funding.

In the Senate Report (109-254) accompanying the recently passed 2007 Defense Authorization bill (S-2766) the Committee provides the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel with $5 million to execute the recently created High Performance Defense Manufacturing Technology Research and Development program. This program was endorsed by the DSB and "calls for public-private partnership incentives, industry roadmaps for new manufacturing and technology processes, test beds for technology transition and other cooperative programs," according to the Committee.

The committee says DOD needs to heed the advice of the Defense Science Board by allocating 1 percent of the total Research Development, Test and Evaluation budget to the ManTech program.

A host of manufacturing programs receive additional funding.

In the area of advanced microelectronics manufacturing (PE 62120A), senators increased the budget from $38.4 million to $41.4 million to develop new low-volume manufacturing of flexible electronics "whose defense applications could include flexible displays, lightweight miniaturized sensors and portable power systems," says the Senate Armed Services Committee report. The committee notes that this type effort is consistent with the Defense Science Board's recommendation in its recent report, entitled 'High Performance Microchip Supply,' to develop technology and equipment for production of low-volume microelectronics to meet unique Department of Defense needs."

The Defense Department's nanotechnology budget (PE 63004A) would increase by $2 million to $76.7 million.

The Army's ManTech budget (PE 63004A) would increase by $8.5 million, from $68.1 million to $76.6 million, including an extra $3 million for manufacturing demonstrations to develop "efficient, agile manufacturing cells to better support warfighter needs for critical machined parts; $2 million for large structure titanium machining processes; and $3.5 million for super pulse laser systems development." The Senate recommends an additional $3 million be spent on novel packaging and interconnect technologies to advance printed circuit board technology."

In the area of Army material technology (PE 62105A), the Senate Armed Service Committee increased funding from $18.8 million requested by President Bush to 24.1 million. Of the additional money, $1 million is provided for the development of flexible, lightweight thermoplastic composite body armor; $1.6 million for affordable multi-utility materials"; $500,000 for simulations of improvised explosive devices; $300,000 for a control system for laser powder deposition manufacturing processes; and $2 million for munition shape charge control research.

The Air Force ManTech program PE 78011F) also received a boost: up $10 million from the budget request of $36.7 million, including 8 million for the development of advanced prototyping of nanomaterials and $2 million for rapid manufacturing and repair of composite components for high temperature applications. It also adds $3 million to the aircraft sustainment account (PE 78611F) "to improve readiness through automated tracking of aircraft maintenance and mission records."

The Defense Logistics Agency's research and technology demonstrations budget (PE 63712S) would see a boost of $3 million from the budget request of $23.4 million for a program aimed at creating a "comprehensive and integrated strategy [and plan] for the appropriate use and acquisition of hydrogen fuel." An additional $8 million would be used to research and demonstrate solid hydrogen storage systems (PE 63712S); and $7 million for the acceleration of the deployment of fuel cell technologies in military vehicles. DLA would receive an additional $3 million to support the manufacturing supply chain and for increasing involvement of small- and medium-sized firms in meeting defense surge production requirements; $7 million for the embedded passives test bed program; $4.2 million for aging systems sustainment and enabling technologies; and $1.7 million for the development of an emergency power source to meet National Guard requirements (all under PE 63712S).

The Senate also provides a $3 million increase in the DLA ManTech program (PE 78011S), up from the $18.7 million requested. This money would be used to improve the castings readiness program "aimed at bringing castings expertise into defense supply centers; reducing backorder times for critical cast and forged parts; developing new manufacturing processes for the defense industrial base, and establishing a data exchange system to coordinate castings information and ensure timely parts availability."

Finally, the Senate believes a new era in reducing the cost and risk of weapons systems will require the widespread use of Manufacturing Readiness Levels and Interoperability Readiness Levels. "The committee directs the Department to report to the congressional defense committees no later than March 1, 2007, on the feasibility of incorporating MRL's and IRL's into DOD Instruction 5000.2 as explicit criteria for milestone decisions," says the report language accompanying the authorization bill.