Army Announces First Ever ‘Manufacturing Rodeo’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ARMY ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER ‘MANUFACTURING RODEO’ Washington, D.C. — October 12, 2026 Acting Secretary of the Army Honorable Adam… Acting Secretary of the Army Honorable Adam Telle announced the Army’s first‑ever Manufacturing Rodeo during the AUSA National Convention opening ceremony, describing it as a competitive stress test for both the Army’s organic industrial base and the nation’s broader manufacturing network. In his remarks, Telle stated, “The U.S. Army is going to do something we’ve never done before: early next year we will conduct what I’m calling a Manufacturing Rodeo—a race between our industrial base partners that strains our organic industrial base, stresses the supply chain, pressures manufacturing processes, and shows us exactly where it breaks.” He emphasized that the Army will learn by doing, not by “sitting around postulating at the Pentagon,” with the goal of identifying weak links, strengthening them, and continuously iterating to build a more resilient and responsive industrial base.

These efforts will build on current Army efforts, as this year the Army has pivoted its modernization focus from single-system production targets toward scaling flexible "advanced manufacturing" capabilities across the Organic Industrial Base (OIB). By establishing advanced manufacturing hubs at key installations—such as Red River Army Depot, Anniston Army Depot, and Tobyhanna Army Depot—and securing critical Public-Private Partnerships (P3) with industry leaders like Hadrian