The Army is mispricing readiness, and additive manufacturing exposes the problem

• The USArmyis about to lose millions of dollars in training value for reasons that have nothing to do with funding shortfalls or maintenance discipline. • As armored brigades prepare for National Training Center rotations this year, a significant portion of theirAbrams tankfleets remain non-mission capable, waiting for parts. • The Army has the technical ability to manufacture many of these parts quickly using advanced manufacturing techniques. • And this is solely due to current policies that make it nearly impossible to justify buying those parts at the “wrong” price. • National Training Centerrotations are the apex of collective training for armored units. • They are the events where brigades validate readiness and expose weaknesses before deployment.

Article Summaries:

• The US Army is about to lose millions of dollars in training value for reasons that have nothing to do with funding shortfalls or maintenance discipline. As armored brigades prepare for National Training Center rotations this year, a significant portion of their Abrams tank fleets remain non-mission capable, waiting for parts. The Army has the technical ability to manufacture many of these parts quickly using advanced manufacturing techniques. But they’re not. And this is solely due to current policies that make it nearly impossible to justify buying those parts at the “wrong” price. National

Sources:

• https://breakingdefense.com/2026/02/the-army-is-mispricing-readiness-and-additive-manufacturing-exposes-the-problem/