The Forge is the result of a multi-year partnership between USINDOPACOM and the Department of Defense (DoD)'s Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, who funded the facility through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program. The Forge will utilize advanced manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, precision machining, casting and forging, and rapid prototyping, to maintain U.S. military edge and sustain the Joint Force.

During the opening, Paparo toured the facility, met with military technicians, and engaged with workforce members to discuss innovations in advanced manufacturing. The visit highlighted The Forge's contributions to defense technologies with ground-breaking capabilities in austere conditions by leveraging manufacturing innovation created at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The facility intends to produce everything from replacement parts to advanced prototype components and unmanned systems for the U.S. Navy and Joint Forces. This capability will reduce reliance on existing supply chains and provide opportunities for rapid prototyping with partners and allies.

"Advanced manufacturing gives Hawaii a strategic advantage as this technology will revolutionize our defense capabilities and operational readiness in unprecedented ways. As the tip of the spear, we must move faster to harness the full potential this manufacturing revolution offers our readiness capabilities, yet we cannot adapt fast enough," Paparo said.

By establishing a Joint Force 'Collaborative Environment' specifically designed to fabricate long lead-time and mission-critical components, the facility will accelerate innovation, strengthen expeditionary military capabilities, and stimulate economic growth in Hawaii.

The visit highlights the DoD’s unwavering commitment to strengthening Hawaii's defense industrial base, a cornerstone of USINDOPACOM's mission to ensure readiness and resilience in the Indo-Pacific region through security cooperation, peaceful development, contingency response, and deterring aggression.

USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict.