MARCH 12, 2025 – Director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Technology program (OSD ManTech) Keith DeVries said,” One of the biggest takeaways from the Pacific Operational Science & and Technology Conference (POST) are the connections that were made between those with big ideas for improving defense manufacturing and the people or companies who could help bring those ideas to life.”
Hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association, the yearly event brings together stakeholders in defense manufacturing for five days of exhibits, panel discussions, demonstrations and the unique opportunity to directly engage with defense stakeholders across the spectrum of users, maintainers, suppliers, and planners.
“We’re here for the warfighter, plain and simple. We identify the latest technology to help meet their requirements so they can complete their missions wherever they are and whatever it may entail. The Nation’s warfighters can’t wait for supply chain gaps to catch up to operations. By collaborating with industry and academia, we’re able to accelerate innovation that will resolve some of the warfighter’s greatest challenges,” DeVries said.
Leaders from the Office of Technology Innovation for the Industrial Base (TIIB) were also on-hand at POST to engage with stakeholders on innovative solutions for supporting the nation’s warfighters, particularly in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM).
“Advanced manufacturing and innovation are key to operating at the speed of combat. Our offices find and develop solutions that allow operational success in austere environments, solving point of need challenges and sustainment solutions,” said Tracy Frost, TIIB Director in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
During a panel discussion at POST, DeVries and his colleagues outlined several initiatives to equip the warfighter with relevant solutions for some of their most pressing problems, particularly in the logistically challenged Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). Charlene Stokes, program manager for OSD Manufacturing Education and Workforce Development (M-EWD), noted “ManTech is positioned to play a pivotal role in ensuring the availability of a highly skilled, agile civilian workforce in the INDOPACOM region capable of supporting expeditionary maintenance and repair programs across the Department of Defense (DoD).”
“”We are working on an INDOPACOM civilian workforce initiative that will ensure regional stakeholder alignment, foster transferable skills, and utilize advanced tools and methodologies. The goal is to ensure an agile civilian workforce that can quickly adapt skills to support expeditionary maintenance and repair operations and shifting demands.” Said Stokes.
Relevant solutions to warfighter challenges also require investment, which is the focus of the Manufacturing Science and Technology Program (MSTP) within OSD ManTech. As part of the panel discussion, Justin McRoberts, MSTP program manager, explained that his office focuses on joint service needs, seeking collaboration among the Armed Forces, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the Office of the Secretary of Defense to reduce financial burdens and increase ingenuity for new technologies.
“If you have a great idea, we want to hear about it,” McRoberts told the panel audience. “MSTP conducts annual proposal calls with focused investment areas that come from the leadership at the Office of the Undersecretary for Defense Research and Engineering, the Joint Defense Manufacturing and Technology Program, and from collaborative efforts with industry and academia,” he said.
POST 2025 wrapped up March 7 with field experimentations, where technologies from the across the OSD ManTech program demonstrated cutting edge processes. Demonstrations at POST FX included:
- Lightweight Hydrogen Fuel Cell: MSTP funded effort that is providing new power systems for UAS and Small Unit Power devices for the United States Marine Corps.
- The Intrepid Expeditionary 3D Printer (Member – Craitor): Deployable additive manufacturing with the ability to print critical parts in the field.
- Gigabot X ((Member – re:3D Inc.): A more affordable and accessible 3D printer that makes use of both pellets and recycled plastic regrind from reclaimed plastic waste.
- Austere nField Repair (Member – nScrypt): A ruggedized “factory in a box” that employs employs additive electronics and mechanical part manufacturing to replace and repair damaged hardware at austere points of need.
- Blood Product Bioreactor (Member – Sciperio): Enables the manufacture of blood on demand with cryopreserved blood precursor cells.
POST is a yearly conference offering a unique opportunity to network within the defense industrial ecosystem of INDOPACOM for joint research and development opportunities. It also offers participants a chance to see some of what has materialized from collaborative efforts among the Department of Defense (DoD), other government agencies and industry members. While the conference focuses primarily on the challenges and opportunities within the Indo-Pacific region, attendees are able to network and engage with defense industrial stakeholders across the greater U.S. and beyond.
For more information on OSD ManTech, its resources and the possibility of future engagement, explore our website at www.dodmantech.mil.
Story by Rebecca Ward
DoD Manufacturing Technology Program