Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance grows defense industry in the QC

Significant progress and developments have taken place over the past four years to enhance and grow the defense industry in the Quad Cities.

The Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance (RIADA) has demonstrated results in advocating for the Rock Island Arsenal and helping to secure millions of dollars. “These results have been achieved by working with local leaders and the federal Congressional delegation from Illinois and Iowa representing the Quad Cities,” said Mike Hutchison, Executive Director of RIADA. Hutchison says he's most proud of the work RIADA has done to secure the funding for the Jointless Hull and other 3D printing capabilities. "The capability being created at the Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center is truly a game changer for both the Arsenal and the Army. Thanks to these efforts, the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) continues to grow the defense industry in the Quad Cities region.”

Highlights from RIADA’s accomplishments included:

• Partnering with RIA and the Congressional Delegation to obtain RIA’s designation as the Army’s Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM COE).
• Securing over $20 million in equipment for the AM COE.
• Securing over $75 million to establish the world’s largest metal 3D printer – the Jointless Hull – to meet new and innovative designs in ground vehicle systems for the Army. The Jointless Hull project is bringing in companies such as BAE Systems, Boeing, General Dynamics Land Systems, Lockheed Martin and John Deere to utilize this capability and be exposed to the QC defense market.
• Advocating for the establishment of an Other Transaction Authority or OTA (a procurement authority allowing federal agencies to enter into legally binding agreements with nontraditional defense contractors) to help attract more Research, Development, Test & Evaluation funding at RIA.
• Creation of a state-of-the-art Test & Evaluation capability in the Quad Cities that will help funnel additional work at the AM COE.
• Securing over $5 million for the development of 3D-printed construction equipment at the AM COE.

Initiatives to sustain RIA

• Working with partners like AM General to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to maintain work on the HMMWV (Humvee) Ambulance line of effort and successor systems like the HMMWV SECM.
• Working with the delegation to see clarity and improvements in the Army’s “Make or Buy” guidance that helps to drive workload at the Arsenals.
• Advocating for the Civilian Human Resources Agency CHRA) to be selected as the primary human resource provider to the Defense Health Agency – leading to over 60 additional jobs at RIA.
• Advocating and helping secure over $80 million for soft recoil technology work (modernized artillery that is lightweight and mobile) at RIA.
• Advocating and helping secure over $150 million for the Navigation and Ecosystems Sustainability Program, which is providing critical workload to the US Army Corps – Rock Island District.

Advocating for Quality Facilities at RIA

• Advocating and securing over $15 million to establish an Army-led online real estate tool that will help Army installations advertise available space – this will help to address the utilization of excess space at RIA.
• Advocating and securing $2.5 million for dredging to improve the island’s hydroelectric dam throughput, which helps generate power for the buildings on the island.
• Supporting an over $70 million microgrid and power generation Energy Resilience project at RIA.
• Advocating for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, which helps support infrastructure needs in the community while supporting and enhancing the military missions on the installation.

The Rock Island Arsenal Defense Alliance (RIADA) is a community-led Chamber-affiliated 501c6 nonprofit corporation that is dedicated to the support and promotion of the Rock Island Arsenal and Quad Cities region's defense industry.