DIU Set to Launch Blue Manufacturing Unit this March

Earlier this month in Austin, Texas, leaders from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and Air Force Work Project (AFWERX) announced plans to launch a new initiative by the end of the month aimed at scaling advanced manufacturing in defense.

The initiative, known as Blue Manufacturing, is currently mapping out production needs and capabilities to provide a marketplace of vetted advanced manufacturers for the joint forces.

"We're going to screen, evaluate and identify the best of the best in that advanced manufacturing industrial base," said Travis DeMeester, a Program Coordinator for DIU. “Across the value chain, you can expect initially five categories…you’ll see different types of manufacturing technologies, you’ll see different product verticals. These will all be rolling out very quickly in succession.”

Blue Manufacturing will include companies that work in 3D printing, digital engineering, and any other form of advanced manufacturing. The program intends to support small manufacturing companies that typically struggle to reach the high production scaling required for the DoD.  

“These guys need these guys to scale, and these guys can help us scale with those guys. Doing that will help us really build the defense industrial base in a new way and do it right now,” Doug Beck, the Director of DIU, said in August.  

Another goal of the program is to ensure the DoD is working with manufacturers that don’t use resources produced by adversaries.

Blue Manufacturing was inspired by DIU’s work on the Blue UAS initiative. Started in 2020, the Blue UAS initiative is a holistic approach to rapidly vet and scale commercial UAS solutions across the DoD. The initiative established a Blue UAS Cleared List that compiled approved drones that are compliant with section 848 of the FY20 NDAA, section 817 of the FY23 NDAA, and the American Security Drone Act, validated as cyber-secure and safe to fly. Blue UAS ensures safeguards that UAS parts aren’t from adversaries like China, Iran, Russia, North Korea and Venezuela.

One element of Blue UAS that is unclear if it will be mirrored in Blue Manufacturing are yearly refreshes of the cleared list where companies already on the list and companies wishing to enter will compete over spots. 

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