DLA CT Industry Innovation Day - Navy.pdf

I. Provide the Navy with insight into innovative domestic materials that are currently in development or commercially available, enabling the expansion and diversification of the domestic supply base while improving product quality and advancing the use of sustainable materials.

Additionally, identify and address gaps in domestic sourcing capabilities for uniform and protective clothing requirements, with an emphasis on strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity and supply chain resilience.

Suggested topics:

Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility

1. Hemp fabrics, hemp blend lightweight knits

2. Examples of sustainable materials within the domestic industry; circular applications.

a. Textile end-of-life management (disposal)

3. Alternative materials for dress and service dress fabrics; transitioning away from polyester/wool blends.

4. Novel closure systems for use on garments.

5. Flame resistant neoprene (must self-extinguish and No Melt/No Drip)

6. Berry-compliant invisible zippers

7. Alternatives for toe protection in footwear.

Naval Special Warfare

1. Capability Gaps: Impacts of PFAS Enforcement on both CBRND ensembles and Tactical Environmental Protective ensembles. Industry growth/flexibility to support emerging demands (aka Valley of Death between SOCOM and GPF personnel footprints).

2. Material Enhancements: Fasteners in combat uniforms and load carriage to support diving to excursion depths and overall noise signature in land/littoral and Maritime Interdiction Operation environments (e.g. hook/loop "next").

3. Emerging Operational Requirements:

a. Camouflage patterns to defeat next-generation sensors from exquisite competitors.

b. Innovative load carriage systems to reduce human "wear and tear" (e.g. pack and belt combinations).

c. Load carriage systems for unique loads (e.g., small unmanned systems, maritime scalable effects).

d. Maritime CASEVAC/personnel recovery and emergency self-rescue in denied environments.

e. Modernized safety belts, lanyards, and restraints to support Helicopter and Boat Assault Force/Boarding Parties.

II. Provide the Navy with a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the industry and its operations, fostering informed dialogue on where strategic investments can most effectively strengthen the industrial base. This includes identifying opportunities that deliver both near-term operational improvements and long-term strategic resilience. The domestic Class II industrial base is a critical component of the federal government's supply chain and national readiness. Suggested topics:

1. Examples of operations that have established efficiency in production and tracking.

What does industry/company use for tech packs?

a. What does industry want to see in government documents to ease utilization by their work force?

b. What suggestions does industry have for where the government can improve?

What bottlenecks does industry/company have at different tier levels?

c. At what tier level would addressing bottlenecks have greatest impact?

d. Are there transparency or alert systems (e.g., material availability)?

e. Forecasting and lead time tools?

2. Examples of government and/or corporate policies that limit industry’s ability to innovate, and how these could be changed.

2. Clothing & Textiles consulting services for improving efficiencies w/SOPs

3. Are our current SOPs working? Where can we improve in project management standardization?

3. Methods and best practices for streamlining solicitations (time from technical data package to DLA for solicitation is extremely lengthy, example IPTU)

4. Accessible, non-practitioner focused body measurement collection.

b. A warfighter needs measurements but doesn’t have time to figure out what measurements are required.

5. Digital engineering tools, including digital twins: focus on women’s considerations