Abstract: The Army Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) program has exerted a strong and lasting influence on the U.S. defense industrial base for more than 25 years. The defense industrial base can be described as the aggregate ability to provide the manufacturing technology, research, development, and resources necessary to produce defense material. The Army's MANTECH program is designed to develop manufacturing thrusts (such as optics) that will result in the development of new and improved manufacturing processes. The Joint Logistics Commanders' assessment of the precision optics industrial base emphasized the need to modernize optics fabrication techniques and equipment. As a result of the study, the American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association (APOMA), the Department of the Army, and several academic institutions have collaborated to establish and support the Center for Optics Manufacturing (COM) at the University of Rochester. Through this successful collaboration of knowledge and resources, participants are able to leverage and reduce the cost, risk, and difficulty of developing new automated optics manufacturing systems and supporting technologies. The optics manufacturing thrust is now in its second year and support from industrial, academic, and government participants continues to increase.!10
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