The Department of Defense (DoD)’s Office of Industrial Base Policy (IBP) has achieved a major milestone in the production of PGU-48/B ammunition for advanced fixed-wing fighter aircraft. The Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A), American Rheinmetall Munitions (ARM), Inc., and IBP’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office have partnered to fund the new project. Funding includes installation and initial operating capability of a modernized case priming machine to support a pilot production line for medium caliber munitions manufacturing in Camden, Arkansas.

The completed production line will enhance ammunition component supply chains by adding a third domestic medium-sized munitions supplier to the industrial base. The Munition Manufacturing and Supply Chain Enhancement project is led by MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office.

Currently, the 25x137 millimeter PGU-48/B ammunition is manufactured by Oerlikon in Switzerland. As part of ICAM’s project, ARM accepted the modernized priming machine last April after it successfully generated a fully primed cartridge case in less than 20 seconds. This decreased priming time enables far greater cartridge production rates.

Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, ASD(IBP) stated, “We are pleased by the partnerships created through this effort and the achievements that will further enable this domestic munition production capability in support the Department’s warfighting needs.”

This manufacturing technology modernization will ensure DoD supply chain access to organic medium munitions production. “The addition and qualification of the cartridge case priming machine at the Arkansas facility will effectively enhance U.S. industrial base capabilities and resilience by removing reliance on a sole source,” commented Mr. Greg O’Connor, JPEO A&A’s technical lead for the project. “The small-scale prototype line will support national security interests by establishing critical domestic manufacturing capability for this unique technology.”

“Adding a new source for primed cartridge cases provides a significant increase in available capacity and introduces more competition in a process that can be a major bottleneck, even for large prime contractors,” remarked ARM’s Business Development team, spearheaded by the Vice President of Business Development, Mr. Joseph Chan, and CEO, Mr. John Somich. “The stress on the supply chain to meet increasing demand has forced our industrial base to find new ways to produce at-scale. This has made production capacity and mitigating constraints a strategic imperative for many stakeholders. Many professionals across the U.S. Government and industry that focus on armament production have been raising concerns about legacy facilities and weak supply chains. Accelerating munition facilitization strengthens our ability to surge production.”

For more information on this, and other ICAM projects please email: osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil.

The Department of Defense (DoD)’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, and in partnership with RD Solutions, Inc., sponsored the Project MFG 2023 National Advanced Manufacturing Championship on May 8 - 11, 2023 in Greenville, South Carolina. Project MFG advances the Department’s vision of promoting the prestige of manufacturing and inspiring individuals to enter the manufacturing sector. The project is led by MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office.

Teams from Calhoun Community College (Tanner, Alabama), Minnesota State College Southeast (Red Wing, Minnesota), Southwestern Illinois College (Belleville, Illinois), and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) gathered at Greenville Technical College’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation to compete, in which each were tasked with creating medical implants and devices that could be used for the restoration of physical mobility in military personnel suffering severe battlefield injuries and civilians with debilitating physical conditions. The projects were scored on machining accuracy, cost to produce, completeness, and teamwork. The winners for the 2023 competition will be announced in the Project MFG “Clash of Trades” episode scheduled to be aired on the Project MFG YouTube channel in late June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkY0vFgZCw4

The 2023 National Championship gave officials from DoD and industry the opportunity to offer valuable insight on their current manufacturing challenges and future remedies. The Honorable Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, stated, “The United States and DoD need to inspire this and future generations of Americans to pursue careers in advanced manufacturing. Project MFG is a pioneer in that inspiration and its output of skilled workers directly supports my organization’s mission of ‘forging and sustaining a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future’; as well as one of our key priorities of ‘Anticipating and closing gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems’.”

“Project MFG’s 2023 series of competitions demonstrated the commitment of industry and academia in using competitions to promote manufacturing trades and trade training programs. We look forward to continuing to build the league of competing teams as it’s an indicator of the quality of not only their instructors and curriculums, but the determination of the students to hone their skills. Thank you to the Project MFG team for planning and organizing this event, the competitors for stepping-up and demonstrating their skills under pressure, and their host institutions for helping make this happen,” stated Ms. Adele Ratcliff, ICAM Director.

Project MFG helps elevate the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals through its series of interdisciplinary and trade-specific competitions where participants gain hands-on experience with the latest technology and support from subject matter experts. These competitions also provide an opportunity to build and strengthen local and regional manufacturing communities while working to change mindsets about advanced manufacturing careers, fostering community preparedness, and challenging how the critical skills needed to succeed in modern advanced manufacturing are taught.

During the awards ceremony, Ms. Ratcliff thanked the Greenville Technical College hosts and other partners from industry and academia for investing the time and resources to make the event a success. She pledged to continue to support Project MFG activities as a catalyst for future industrial base health and growth.

For additional information on this, and other ICAM projects, please email osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil.

The Department of Defense (DoD)’s Office of Industrial Base Policy (IBP), through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, and in partnership with RD Solutions, Inc., sponsored the Project MFG 2023 National Welding League Championship on June 1-2, 2023, in Kirtland, Ohio. Project MFG advances the Department’s vision of promoting the prestige of manufacturing and inspiring individuals to enter the manufacturing sector. The project is led by MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office.

The National Welding League competition projects involved multiple technical processes which enabled a thorough assessment of each competitor’s welding proficiency. Throughout the year, 93 students competed in the project-based competition series and were challenged to create defense themed objects simulating a helicopter, fixed-wing jet fighter, and submarine. The complexity of each project increased throughout the year-long series, with the most challenging project taking place at the national championship. Continuing the defense theme, the top ranking 25 students, which featured 15 schools from 10 different states, were challenged to complete an aircraft carrier project in the final challenge in seven hours. The winners of the 2023 competition will be featured in the welding league episode of Project MFG’s “Clash of Trades” which is scheduled to be aired on the Project MFG YouTube channel in late June. “Clash of Trades” was recently awarded a 2023 Viddy Award. This international awards competition recognizes outstanding achievement in video and digital production skills (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkY0vFgZCw4)

"Project MFG's 'Clash of Trades' campaign has become one of our most successful initiatives to promote and celebrate the vast opportunities that trade careers offer, while also showcasing the exceptional talent of the future generation of our domestic manufacturing workforce. This campaign provides the perfect platform to push the manufacturing story beyond the manufacturing ecosystem and attract new talent to this critical need," added Dr. Ray Dick, who leads Project MFG’s execution.

True to Project MFG’s mission, educational and networking opportunities were available for both students and attendees throughout the event. For example, competitors, instructors, parents, and attendees participated in a panel discussion that focused on challenges facing the manufacturing industry and the vast amount of rewarding and successful career opportunities available.

Project MFG helps elevate the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals through its series of interdisciplinary and trade-specific competitions where participants gain hands-on experience with the latest technology and support from subject matter experts. Ms. Adele Ratcliff, Director of MCEIP’s ICAM office, and its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program which funds Project MFG stated, “These competitions provide an opportunity to build and strengthen local and regional manufacturing communities while working to change mindsets about careers in critical defense-related trades. They foster community collaboration and inspire partnerships across industry and academia, all while challenging how the critical skills needed to succeed in a modern industrial base are taught.”

For additional information on MCEIP and other ICAM projects, please visit https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html or email osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil

The Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy (IBP), through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, awarded an $8.4 million contract to Ultra Communications, Inc. of Vista, California to improve the supply and capacity of ruggedized high-speed optical transceivers used in defense applications. The joint project, led by MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office, adds new advanced manufacturing capabilities to Ultra Communications’ ability to provide components necessary for sensor data management in cutting-edge DoD platforms.

Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (IBP) stated, “This prototyping effort will increase the production capacity needed to satisfy the Department’s demand, and spur the manufacture of next generation transceivers. It provides game-changing industrial capacity for a key component used in advanced fixed-wing fighter aircraft, next generation radar systems, and several U.S. geospatial satellite programs. The project will expand the materiel supply chain and address bottlenecks in manufacturing processes.”

"We are honored and grateful to be selected to develop manufacturing processes and strengthen the U.S. supply chain for technology that advances DoD’s capabilities," said Charlie Kuznia, founder of Ultra Communications, Inc. "This support underscores the recognition of our expertise and commitment to revolutionizing optical communication technology used in harsh environments. With this contract award, we will create a robust supply of high-speed fiber optic transceivers, enabling more connected and digitally empowered Joint Warfighters."

This investment funds the necessary improvements to the automated manufacture and test equipment impacting production throughput, yield, and cost. Additionally, the effort includes the development, release, and qualification of prototype manufacturing processes to improve the supply chain. These improvements include securing and qualifying both primary and secondary sources of materials, and ensuring known good materiel supplies are available and used.

“The rapid changes occurring within the microelectronics industry make it imperative for the Department of Defense to ensure that this critical sector can support the nation’s defense needs. The Presidential Determination will allow the DoD to use additional tools to ensure the resilience of American microelectronics manufacturing,” Anthony Di Stasio, Director of the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office. “We are committed to working with our interagency partners to expand the microelectronics domestic industrial base in the United States.”

For additional information on MCEIP and other ICAM projects, please visit https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html or email osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil

The Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy (IBP), through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, awarded a $20 million contract to Austal USA (AUSA), and their subsidiary Austal USA Advanced Technologies, to bolster the U.S. Navy shipbuilding industrial base. The joint project, led by MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office, adds new advanced manufacturing capabilities to the AUSA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama and the AUSA Advanced Technologies facility in Charlottesville, Virginia. Together the team will introduce agile industrial capacities into the submarine industrial base (SIB) by expanding the available throughput for parts replacements, as well as serial production of steel module structures aboard the national defense-imperative Columbia and Virginia class submarines.

AUSA will establish a metal cutting and forming capability to support submarine module construction, and an additive manufacturing (AM) capability for adding serialized production capacity to conventional manufacturing supply chains for hard-to-source parts such as large forgings and castings. ElectraWatch, partnering with the ICAM-funded Advanced Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) initiative in Danville, Virginia, will be hiring graduates from ATDM’s additive manufacturing training track.

The ATDM Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, within the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Center for Manufacturing Advancement, on the Danville Institute for Advanced Learning and Research campus, provides an accelerated, focused training program to deliver highly trained, skilled, and certified manufacturing talent motivated to join the SIB in significant numbers. By partnering with ATDM, AUSA will aviod localized, one-off approaches and attempts to close national industrial skills gaps.

Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, ASD(IBP) stated, “This award is a vital addition to DoD’s workforce development and directly supports the Biden Administration’s initiatives to strengthen America’s supply chains as outlined in Executive Order 14017, America’s Supply Chains. The award of this contract is another step by the DoD towards supporting and enhancing America’s defense industrial base workforce and supply chains.”

This investment funds industrial improvements designed, constructed, and operated by AUSA in Mobile and augments existing AM capacity at the AUSA Advanced Technology facilities in Charlottesville where new equipment will be installed. Meanwhile, the new and improved Gulf Coast facilities will allow AUSA to continue their support for America’s Navy as the Independence Class Littoral Combat Ship new construction efforts come to an end. This award will provide a predictable and steady workload to the AUSA shipyard and allow the Navy to continue to leverage an experienced, skilled workforce in Mobile. AUSA management will expand manning by a further 1,000 employees to meet SIB demand – an increase by one-third.

“Austal USA is excited to demonstrate our extensive capability in providing additive manufacturing solutions to the U.S. Navy’s submarine industrial base,” commented Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. “Our highly talented team at Austal USA Advanced Technologies, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, is looking forward to exercising the resources provided by this award to guarantee future success for the Navy’s Virginia and Columbia class submarine fleets.”

For additional information on this and other ICAM projects, please email osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil.

The Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy (IBP), through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, has joined forces with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) in East Hartford, Connecticut to design, develop, provide, and operate a Northeast regional end-to-end digital thread laboratory. On May 23, 2023, MCEIP awarded a $7.1 million contract to CCAT to fully leverage data-driven digital capabilities to improve the cost-effectiveness and responsiveness of commercial production to meet DoD needs. The Digital Thread Manufacturing Prototype Project (or “DTM”), led by MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office, will promote and speed the adoption of advanced technologies, skilled workforce development, and the integration of digital tools (especially in-situ sensors and metrology capabilities) by current and prospective defense manufacturers.

DTM’s Digital Thread Manufacturing Lab will enhance the application of data-driven approaches to manufacturing and workforce development efforts by digitally transforming the defense industrial base in the Northeast. It will provide critical manufacturing job-related training and career development resources, manufacturing equipment, tools, materials, and software. The lab will also emphasize the identification and enhancement of “convergence” skill sets, such as the knowledge and skills the workforce needs to streamline the integration of Information Technology / Operational Technology (IT/OT) systems and reduce barriers to the adoption of digital thread manufacturing.

Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (IBP) said, “The capabilities this project delivers will help manufacturers gain and maintain commanding visibility into what their manufacturing processes are doing and how well they are doing it in real-time. This will enable our network of defense suppliers to achieve better cost, schedule and performance outcomes for themselves, the Department, and the Joint Force.”

CCAT President and CEO, Mr. Ron Angelo, and Dr. Jackie Garofano, CCAT Chief Technology Officer stated, “This DoD designated Digital Thread Manufacturing Lab is an engine for the nation to advance data-driven digital capabilities to improve the cost-effectiveness and responsiveness of the supply base. CCAT’s demonstrated success as a national leader, in delivering technology adoption and workforce training throughout the industrial base, will ensure the success of this transformational opportunity to partner with the DoD and be a model to deliver high-impact digital training at scale.”

The experiential training at CCAT will enable production and quality control personnel, and decision makers, to gain and maintain an integrated view of the collection, storage, display, analysis, and application of digital data to improve the cost effectiveness and timeliness (schedule and performance) of design, manufacturing, and inspection operations. The Digital Thread Lab will demonstrate and develop solutions that advance and sustain both traditional and emerging defense manufacturing sectors, preserve critical and unique manufacturing and design skills, and identify and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities.

“Austal USA is excited to demonstrate our extensive capability in providing additive manufacturing solutions to the U.S. Navy’s submarine industrial base,” commented Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. “Our highly talented team at Austal USA Advanced Technologies, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, is looking forward to exercising the resources provided by this award to guarantee future success for the Navy’s Virginia and Columbia class submarine fleets.”

For additional information on MCEIP and other ICAM projects, please visit https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html, or email osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil.

President Joe Biden signed a presidential determination (PD) authorizing the use of Defense Production Act to support the nation’s domestic Printed Circuit Boards (PrCB) and Advanced Packaging industrial base.

The PD allows the Department of Defense (DoD) to utilize its Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III authorities to invest in advanced microelectronics capacity and ensure the production of state-of-the-art integrated circuits in the United States.

President Biden’s Executive Order 14017 on “America’s Supply Chains” prioritized the need to support and advance the domestic PrCB and Advanced Packaging industrial base to addresses strategic vulnerabilities to U.S. military readiness and challenges to American economic competitiveness.

PrCBs are critical components in all electronics used in the national defense, economic, environmental, energy, and healthcare management sectors. Advanced packaging allows multiple devices to be packaged and mounted on a single electronic device. Advances in materials, manufacturing tooling, and process development are imperative in advanced packaging to support rapidly evolving technology and the continuously shrinking feature sizes.

“The rapid changes occurring within the microelectronics industry make it imperative for the Department of Defense to ensure that this critical sector can support the nation’s defense needs. The Presidential Determination will allow the DoD to use additional tools to ensure the resilience of American microelectronics manufacturing,” Anthony Di Stasio, Director of the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office. “We are committed to working with our interagency partners to expand the microelectronics domestic industrial base in the United States.”

The PD allows the DoD’s Office of Defense Production Act Investments (DPAI), which is part of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (A&S), to leverage DPA Title III incentives, including purchases and purchase commitments, to support the PrCB and Advanced Packaging industrial base.

In support of the recently released DoD Biomanufacturing Strategy, the Department’s Defense Production Act Investments (DPAI) Office, through the DPA Title III Executive Agent Program Office at the Air Force Research Laboratory, published a request for information (RFI). The RFI seeks input from industry on biomanufactured products and process capabilities that could help address defense needs. Specifically, DPA seeks input on capabilities whose maturation may be addressed by investment under Title III authorities of the DPA. The RFI is available through sam.gov, here.

For detailed information, please reference Solicitation Number: FA8650-23-S-5020

The Department of Defense (DoD)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, in partnership with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), announced the expansion of the ACENet workforce development training network to three locations in Florida. ACENet is a rapidly growing national network of regional machine tool innovation centers and workforce development hubs focused on restoring American dominance in machine tool technology and innovation.

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Polk State College in Winter Haven, and Indian River State College in Fort Pierce now join other ACENet hubs successfully operating in North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. Each of these centers plays a key role in reestablishing American leadership in the machine tool industry through transformative thinking, technology innovation, and workforce development.

“Machine tools and machine tool advanced workforce development training are critical to America’s continued economic vitality and national security,” said Ms. Adele Ratcliff, Director of MCEIP’s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office. “I look forward to following the progress of these “hub-and-spoke” centers across Florida and applaud each for supporting the training necessary to bring machine tool leadership back to the U.S.”

Developed in 2020 by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Professor Dr. Tony Schmitz, ACENet is a public-private partnership established between ICAM and ORNL. Managed by IACMI, and funded by ICAM’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, ACENet is expanding the rapid delivery of ACE-developed training to both experienced and student machinists at universities, community colleges, high schools, technical schools, and throughout industry. ACENet’s growth into Florida lays the foundation to build on the work done in 2022 when the ACENet team created and delivered free online courses in machining dynamics and applied metrology to more than 3,600 students from all 50 states.

According to UF Mechanical Engineering Professor Sean Niemi, ACE is part of a strategic economic shift for the state of Florida. “COVID showed that the state was overly dependent on tourism, and now the state is focused on growing manufacturing and expanding the aerospace and defense industries. As someone who teaches mechanical design courses and enjoys manufacturing, I’m excited to see all the elements I’m passionate about coalesce in the ACE program.”

“Machining and machine tools are at the foundation of America’s manufacturing capability and its global competitiveness,” declared IACMI Workforce Director Joannie Harmon. “We have a critical workforce skills gap in this country when it comes to machine tool resources. The workforce development training network component of ACE is intended to help our nation recover, advance, and sustain technical and manufacturing positions – all to enable a strong, resilient, and responsive U.S. industrial base.”

For more information on the ICAM Office, ACE, and/or ACENet, please email: osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil.

The Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, through its Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) office, and in partnership with RD Solutions, LLC and the Gene Haas Foundation, sponsored the first-ever Project MFG International Machining Competition on December 12-16, 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. Project MFG is funded under ICAM’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program and shares the vision of promoting the prestige of manufacturing and inspiring individuals to enter the manufacturing sector.

Teams from Denmark, Estonia, France, Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal gathered to compete in the inaugural international competition in which each were tasked with creating a complex conical-shaped part that required coordinated, multiple axis machining using a Haas UMC750 5-axis milling machine. The project was scored on accuracy to print, cost to produce, completeness, and teamwork. The winner for the inaugural competition was Denmark’s team consisting of Morten Johannsen, Oliver August Vork, Alexander Vase Schäffer Hansen, and Oliver Valentin Trasbo Madsen.

The international competition gave officials from the participating countries the opportunity to offer valuable insight on their current manufacturing capabilities and future needs. Ms. Halimah Najieb-Locke, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience, stated, “This competition was a milestone effort that showcased the strides the U.S. is making in providing opportunities for skills development training in ways that are interesting and build team spirit. The Brussels competition engaged many of our international partners and set the stage for future collaborative efforts that will pay dividends through machine tool technology sharing and workforce pipeline development at home, and abroad.”

“Project MFG’s inaugural international competition demonstrated the robustness and global interest in using competitions to promote manufacturing trades and trade training programs. We look forward to building Project MFG’s international network and expanding the scope to a truly global competition. Thank you to the ICAM office, Haas Automation – European Headquarters, and the Gene Haas Foundation for helping make this happen,” stated Dr. Ray Dick, who leads Project MFG’s execution.

Project MFG helps elevate the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals through its series of interdisciplinary and trade-specific competitions where participants gain hands-on experience with the latest technology and support from subject matter experts. These competitions also provide an opportunity to build and strengthen local and regional manufacturing communities while working to change mindsets about advanced manufacturing careers, fostering community preparedness, and challenging how the critical skills needed to succeed in modern advanced manufacturing are taught.

DoD representatives thanked their European partners for investing the time and resources to make the event a success and pledged to use this event as a catalyst for future engagements.

For additional information on this, and other IBAS-funded projects, please email the ICAM team at osd.pentagon.ousd-a-s.mbx.ibas@mail.mil.

On Feb. 8, 2023, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the Kingdom of Denmark entered into a bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA). The SOSA was signed by Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Dr. William A. LaPlante, on behalf of the United States and the Director of the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO), Lieutenant General Kim Jesper Jørgensen, on behalf of Denmark.

Through this SOSA, the United States and Denmark agree to provide reciprocal priority support for goods and services that promote national defense. The Arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs.

“This Security of Supply Arrangement with Denmark is very important to the United States,” said LaPlante. “Representing another productive step in the U.S.-Danish relationship, the SOSA will undoubtedly strengthen our respective security and resiliency of supply. Our signatures signify not only our pledge to standing together today, but also our commitment to robust collaboration long into the future.”

In the Arrangement, the U.S. and Denmark commit intent to support one another’s priority delivery requests for procurement of critical national defense resources. The U.S. will provide Denmark some assurances under the U.S. Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS), with action by DoD and adjudication by the Department of Commerce. Denmark will in turn establish a government-industry Code of Conduct with its industrial base, where Danish firms will voluntarily agree to make every reasonable effort to provide the U.S. priority support.

Within the global defense industrial base, SOSAs are an important mechanism for DoD to strengthen interoperability with U.S. defense trade partners. The arrangements establish communication mechanisms, institute working groups, streamline DoD processes, and proactively act to allay anticipated supply chain issues in peacetime, emergency, and armed conflict.

Denmark is a long-term strategic partner and ally of the United States, and the U.S.’s twelfth SOSA partner. Other SOSA partners include Australia, Canada, Finland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.