FEBRUARY 13, 2026 – The Department of War (DOW) announced the September 17, 2025 investment on a five-year contract totaling nearly $9.2 million to the national advanced materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, LIFT, to address manufacturing challenges associated with ceramic matrix composites (CMC). This announcement was delayed due to the government shutdown. This effort, funded through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, supports White House and Secretary of War priorities in advanced composites manufacturing research and development and defense industrial base workforce development.
“This project aims to disrupt manufacturing affordability through advanced materials and processing technologies,” said Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Michael Cadenazzi. “I believe its location in Detroit, Michigan at LIFT’s new Ceramics Manufacturing Center will help revitalize economic growth and industrial capacity in a state with a rich history in building America’s industrial might.”
While composites have been used for decades, they’re relatively new to the centuries old metallics manufacturing industry. Recent advancements in carbon-fiber technologies have impacted CMCs, which are known for their ability to withstand higher temperatures as compared to their polymer composite counterparts. This capability is currently being employed in technologies used in the production of commercial products and defense-critical systems such as stealth aircraft, jet engines, and hypersonic weapons.
LIFT is 1 of 18 Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes designed to foster innovation, enhance domestic supply chains, and forge a skilled workforce to reestablish U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing across the globe.
Since the IBAS Program’s inception in 2014, the Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office has invested over $2.6 billion across 206 projects to restore domestic manufacturing capacity and capability. ICAM is part of OASW(IBP)’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Resilience. For more information on MCEIP, please visit: https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html
About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy (OASW(IBP))
The OASW(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future. OASW(IBP)’s Innovation Capability and Modernization Office, which executes the IBAS Program, provides DOW with key capabilities to achieve the strategic aims of the Department and Presidential Executive Orders. These call for a strong, resilient, responsive, and healthy national industrial base that can respond at-will to national security requirements.