A House bill would require the Department of Defense to develop and implement a plan for using advanced manufacturing technologies to increase production of hard-to-source military parts, an effort aimed at addressing supply-chain shortages that can affect readiness.
The Defense Industrial Base Advanced Manufacturing Enhancement Act introduced June 2 by Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) would amend Section 1842 of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by requiring the Pentagon to identify advanced manufacturing solutions for critical readiness items of supply and establish a process for implementing them.
“Making sure our military is ready and prepared for anything is a basic job of the federal government,” Deluzio said in a statement. “Implementing new and innovative processes like advanced manufacturing will help achieve that readiness. Let’s pass my bill the Defense Industrial Base Advance Manufacturing Enhancement Act to help kickstart more of this manufacturing to keep America’s Defense Industrial Base humming and making the critical products our troops need.”
Under the proposal, the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment would have 180 days after enactment to submit an advanced-manufacturing plan to the Defense Logistics Agency, congressional defense committees, and a collaborative forum established under Section 1844 of the fiscal 2026 NDAA.
What the Bill Would Do
The legislation would require members of that collaborative forum to establish a working group, or another appropriate organization, to implement the Pentagon’s plan.
The group would be tasked with developing or identifying advanced manufacturing solutions capable of increasing production of critical readiness items of supply within 24 months.
The bill focuses on parts identified under Section 1842 of the FY26 NDAA as critical readiness items of supply. Those are components whose availability can directly affect the readiness and sustainment of military systems.
The legislation does not mandate the use of any specific technology. Instead, it directs the Defense Department to identify manufacturing approaches that could increase production of critical parts and reduce supply-chain bottlenecks.
According to Deluzio’s office, examples include additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, in addition to software-controlled subtractive manufacturing and other digitally enabled production techniques.
Focus on Hard-to-Find Parts
A central feature of the proposal involves procurement requests that are already struggling to attract suppliers.
The bill would require the director of the Defense Logistics Agency to update the agency’s No Bid Solicitation List within 60 days of receiving the Pentagon’s plan. The list identifies procurement solicitations that receive no bids or no responsive offers within required acquisition timelines.
Under the legislation, critical readiness items of supply would receive a notation on that list. The goal is to help defense officials and industry partners identify components that may benefit from advanced manufacturing solutions when traditional suppliers are unable or unwilling to produce them.
Examples could include obsolete circuit cards, aircraft components, castings, forgings and other low-demand replacement parts for aging military systems that often struggle to attract qualified bidders.
The bill also formally defines the No Bid Solicitation List as the Defense Logistics Agency’s record of procurement solicitations that fail to receive bids or responsive offers within required procurement timelines.
Why Advanced Manufacturing Matters
The Defense Department has increasingly explored advanced manufacturing as a way to address supply-chain vulnerabilities, aging equipment and shrinking supplier bases.
Many military platforms remain in service for decades, creating challenges when original manufacturers stop producing certain components. Advanced manufacturing techniques, particularly additive manufacturing, can allow parts to be produced from digital designs rather than relying solely on traditional production lines.
Supporters of the technology argue it can reduce dependence on single suppliers, shorten production timelines and improve the availability of replacement parts for aging aircraft, ships and ground vehicles. Deluzio previously pushed for increased funding and reporting requirements related to additive manufacturing during NDAA negotiations.
The legislation has been referred to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration.
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