Department of Defense Corrosion Program

The DoW RDT&E corrosion prevention program, as defined in Public Law 107-314 in section 2228 of title 10 United States Code (section 2228(d)(2)), is a key mechanism to directly address the National Defense Strategy to sustain our lethal force and modernize capabilities within the organic industrial base. Additionally, the corrosion program addresses DoW’s annual cost in corrosion that exceeds $20 billion across the enterprise. The strategic goal of the DoW Corrosion Prevention Program is to improve weapon system readiness through the implementation of targeted and effective material and process solutions that reduce corrosion’s impacts on reliability, maintainability, and cost of maintaining DoW weapon systems and infrastructure. Historically, the program’s high TRL tech insertion projects have yielded an average a 17:1 return-on-investment. The focus on modern technology solutions for sustainment in weapon systems, equipment, and facilities corrosion challenges requires meaningful efforts to align policies and workforce development of field and depot level maintenance to truly effect change in reducing short- and long-term costs and increasing readiness and availability in direct support of the national defense strategy. Specifically, the DoW corrosion program looks at joint applications of DoW assets, as well as those with identified high costs/low availability to make impacts across the enterprise in partnership with the public and private sectors. It also addresses the challenges of a contested logistics environment. This overarching effort breaks down organizational barriers and applies meaningful and direct support to the warfighter across the enterprise. This program fully aligns with the ODASW (MR) Corrosion Policy and Oversight program strategy. The primary areas of focus in the execution of the strategy include: testing and transitioning corrosion technologies in conjunction with the military departments; funding for education and training of the organic workforce in corrosion-related certifications; development and coordination of department corrosion policies; development and adoption of industry standards; research of quantifiable data towards identification of corrosion costs; partnerships with trades, associations, and allied partner nations; coordination of enterprise level corrosion community; and a focus on long-term solvency of systems.