US Army Aims to Make South Korea an Indo-Pacific Manufacturing Hub

The U.S. Army is building advanced manufacturing capabilities in South Korea to support troops across the Indo-Pacific. Col. Scott Carpenter, who leads U.S. Army Materiel Support Command–Korea, said his goal is to make the unit a regional manufacturing center. The team already uses 3D printing and conventional machining to produce parts more quickly and cheaply; one assembly requested by a Guam-based unit cost $82 to make, compared with $36,000 to order. The Army plans to add manufacturing equipment and expand repair capacity in Korea.