Digital Manufacturing Exchange Expands Manufacturing Options for Marines at the Tactical Edge

A Marine in Kyushu, Japan, initiated a manufacturing job on a printer nearly 400 miles away in Okinawa.

That single action demonstrated the larger promise of the Digital Manufacturing Exchange, or DMX: connecting technical expertise, approved data and available manufacturing capacity across geographically dispersed locations without requiring every unit to possess every capability at the point of need.

During Valiant Shield 26, Marine Depot Maintenance Command (MDMC) joined operating forces, other military services, original equipment manufacturers and regional industry partners to test how DMX could support a distributed sustainment network across the Indo-Pacific.

Seven Marine Corps printers were connected to DMX during the exercise. Participating organizations completed 19 prints representing 11 unique parts using streamed technical data from the Marine Corps, Navy, Army and an original equipment manufacturer.

The results showed that DMX can do more than move a digital file from one computer to another. It can connect a unit with an equipment requirement to technical experts, approved manufacturing data and production capacity located elsewhere in the region.

For Marines operating across the Indo-Pacific, that connection could reduce the effect of distance on readiness. Rather than waiting for every select component to move through a lengthy transportation network, units could gain another option for producing approved parts closer to where equipment is operating.

“DMX and distributed manufacturing give Marines across III MEF the tactical flexibility to make dynamic ‘make-or-buy’ decisions within a resilient regional supply network and closer to the point of need,” said Maj. Eric J. Mees, 3d Marine Logistics Group G-4 sustainment officer. “Producing approved parts on demand can reduce theater transit times and help resolve critical shortages when traditional industrial sources cannot deliver high-demand readiness items quickly enough. DMX also strengthens joint integration and expands opportunities to partner with private industry to increase regional manufacturing capacity.”

One of the exercise’s central efforts involved a frequently damaged lower ladder step used on Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks, Palletized Load System A2 vehicles and Logistics Vehicle System Replacement platforms. Oshkosh Defense authorized the controlled use of its proprietary technical data, allowing Marine Depot Maintenance Command and Marines supporting III Marine Expeditionary Force to manufacture the component while the company retained ownership and control of its intellectual property.

“Oshkosh Defense is pleased to partner with MDMC on this initiative because advanced manufacturing and secure digital delivery directly support what Warfighters need most: ready equipment, responsive parts support, and a sustainment approach built to perform over the full vehicle lifecycle,” said Pat Williams, Chief Programs Officer, Oshkosh Defense. “The successful printing and delivery of an Oshkosh repair part during Valiant Shield successfully demonstrated the DMX program’s commitment to protection of a manufacturer’s intellectual property while ensuring seamless support to the operating units, and we look forward to extending this capability to additional critical Class IX parts.”

A Department of State-approved export license enabled MadeHere K.K., a qualified industry partner in Japan, to support production using the Oshkosh data. Industry partners in Japan and South Korea also conducted post-processing and manufactured components using approved government-owned technical data.

“Every supply chain is a bet that the people, the knowledge and the tools will still be there tomorrow. When that bet fails, a part becomes unreproducible and a mission stalls. What was scattered, we gather. What was tacit, we make permanent. What was distant, we build here. Our partnership with MDMC through the DMX initiative demonstrates that sustainment in the Indo-Pacific doesn’t have to cross an ocean. It can happen right here,” said Alexander De Vore, CEO of MadeHere K.K.

The work included a hydraulic manifold manufactured by South Korean partner Partners Lab and an Assault Amphibious Vehicle driver’s vision enhancer latch produced by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. These efforts demonstrated how qualified regional manufacturers could supplement military production capacity closer to operating forces.

DMX also enabled approved technical data and manufacturing capacity to be shared across organizations and military services. Using Army Aviation and Missile Command data, Marines manufactured UH-60 components. MDMC supported the effort by providing approved technical data for additional components, helping expand the range of parts available for distributed manufacturing during the exercise.

In another demonstration, Marines in Kyushu initiated a manufacturing job on a printer in Okinawa. The effort showed how technical expertise, approved data and production equipment located in different places could be connected through a controlled digital process.

The exercise also tested how DMX could work with limited connectivity. Marines partnered with Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division’s “Print on the Move” team to access technical data and produce a component without an active network connection. The demonstration showed how DMX could remain useful in remote or contested environments where reliable communications may not always be available.

DMX is designed to complement —not replace—the existing supply system, depot maintenance or direct support from equipment manufacturers. It gives commanders another option when an approved part is unavailable, has a long lead time or cannot reach the operating force quickly enough.

For Marines operating across a vast and contested theater, the value of DMX is ultimately measured at the tactical edge. By linking approved technical data, manufacturing capacity and expertise across the region, DMX gives commanders another way to overcome distance, respond to equipment shortfalls and keep critical systems in the fight. Valiant Shield 26 demonstrated how that network can move sustainment closer to Marines by giving the force more options when time, distance and availability matter most.

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