The Department of Defense, through the Office for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (IBP), has signed a $45.5 million contract with Arconic Corporation to augment missile and munitions production by escalating the manufacturing of HPA (High Purity Aluminum) at its Davenport, Iowa facility.
“The Office of Industrial Base Policy continues to support industrial sectors of strategic importance to protect American national security and deter adversarial aggression,” Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, said in a June 16 DoD press release. “The company receiving funding is involved in a manufacturing sector identified by President Biden as critical for protecting domestic supply chains.”
Domestic production of HPA has decreased due to low-cost foreign production, according to the DoD release. The DoD is leveraging the DPA (Defense Production Act) Title III, as well as funds from the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act to increase the nation’s HPA production capacity at a facility which is critical for numerous commercial and military systems.
The funding, according to the release, will be directed towards infrastructure enhancements including a new furnace, and new automation and control systems.
According to the release, the Office of Industrial Base Policy is an advisor in shaping DoD strategies to maintain the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB), running small business policies and programs, and performing geo-economic evaluations. Other responsibilities of the office include advising on budgetary matters, addressing gaps in manufacturing, scrutinizing the effects of mergers and acquisitions, and overseeing the influence of foreign investments.
According to the Industrial Base Policy website, Taylor-Kale, confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for IBP in March, boasts more than 20 years of experience intertwining economic diplomacy, national security, tech innovation, and development finance. The Chicago native is a policy executive and strategist, and holds degrees from Smith College, Princeton, NYU, and Stanford. She previously was a Fellow for Innovation and Economic Competitiveness at the Council on Foreign Relations.
