Strengthening supply chains to enhance maritime security and fleet readiness is a tall order for Defense Logistics Agency Weapons Support that starts with a small-but-critical component: valves.
Understanding the challenge
Valves can be described as the unsung heroes of maritime technology, indispensable for the safe and efficient operation of naval vessels. From regulating the flow of essential fluids for propulsion and cooling systems to managing fire suppression and ballast control, their proper function is critical to mission success.
“Literally every weapon system we support takes a valve,” said Kirsten Riesbeck, a DLA Weapons Support supplier operations division chief. “Maintaining an agile and resilient valve supply chain, however, has proven to be a challenge — one we’re tackling head on.”
The challenge stems from a perfect storm of increased demand driven by an aging fleet and expansion goals, a diminished industrial base, and intricate manufacturing processes — all leading to a shortage of the essential shipbuilding components. At the heart of the challenge lies the Navy’s long-range 2023 Battle Force Ship Assessment and Requirement Report’s call for 381 battle-ready ships by the mid-2040s, a significant increase from the current 293. Compounding this, over half of the Navy’s ships are more than 20 years old, requiring more frequent maintenance and replacement of parts.
In early 2025, a surge in cannibalization — the removal of parts from one piece of equipment on a unit to repair another piece of equipment on another unit — amplified the number of valve back orders across the fleet. While a common short-term fix, it highlighted growing pressure on the supply chain.
The valve manufacturing process itself adds another layer of complexity, requiring specialized tooling, specific materials and complex processes like casting and forging.
“Overall, valves are expensive items characterized by statistically significant demand surges, complex risk profiles, challenging acquisition execution, long lead times and declining on-time deliveries,” Riesbeck said. “Workforce constraints, capacity limitations, cast and forging bottlenecks, and overall complexity make valves one of the most closely monitored commodities in the Class IX supply chain.”
The nature of demand for many valve types further complicates efforts to maintain agility and supply chain resilience for repair parts, with a significant number being in low demand with highly variable ordering patterns, she added.
“For example, if a relief valve that costs $115,000 per unit is only needed once every 15 years, maintaining on-hand inventory would not be fiscally responsible, and vendors are less likely to reconfigure their manufacturing lines for small, sporadic orders,” Riesbeck said.
She added that companies may decline to quote on certain valves, producing an industrial base saturated with orders from a finite number of vendors to provide the parts.
“It’s a demand surge not seen since the Cold War coupled with a 40-year decline in the industrial base, creating a challenge that cannot be ignored,” Riesbeck said.
Forging a resilient fleet
Overall, valves are expensive items characterized by statistically significant demand surges, complex risk profiles, challenging acquisition execution, long lead times and declining on-time deliveries
Kirsten Riesbeck
Recognizing the urgency, Riesbeck said DLA is prioritizing valves as a top maritime concern and is spearheading collaborative efforts with U.S. Navy leadership to find solutions.
In September 2025, DLA Weapons Support hosted the Maritime Industrial Base Program in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss the pressing challenges and explore potential investment areas. The MIB Program was established a year earlier to lead the Navy’s efforts in revitalizing America’s shipbuilding and repair capabilities for its surface ships, aircraft carriers and submarines.
The MIB Program outlined three lines of effort for industrial base improvements: supplier development, workforce development and advanced manufacturing.
DLA Weapons Support is playing a role in this endeavor through several initiatives:
Strengthening supplier partnerships
DLA is proactively engaging with industry to overcome challenges and enhance the resilience of its supply chains. In 2025, the DLA Weapons Support’s Maritime Supplier Operations Vendor Engagement Team held 72 meetings to identify and address issues within the valve industry, which led to a reduction in back orders by nearly 30%. In addition to these targeted engagements, the agency’s contracting officers and integrated supply teams are collaborating with vendors to find and validate new subcontracting capabilities. In a recent success, DLA assisted a vendor in locating a new subcontractor for a specialized thermal spray used to coat valves and protect them from saltwater corrosion. This intervention not only resolved a production challenge but also improved the durability and reliability of essential maritime components, ultimately bolstering warfighter readiness.
Expanding the industrial base
To enhance resilience and reduce dependency on a limited number of vendors, DLA is actively seeking to bring new suppliers into the fold. This includes a concerted effort to engage with small businesses nationwide, which are often sources of innovation and agility. Since October 2024, DLA Weapons Support has awarded 3,332 small-business contracts to the valve supplier base, including two new small-business vendors.
Adopting new contracting and repair strategies
The adoption of different contracting strategies has led to the creation of new long-term valve contracts. One notable success story is the motor operated pilot valve — a component of naval fire suppression systems. To address an ongoing back order, DLA Weapons Support teamed with the original equipment manufacturer to transition the work from the U.S. Navy to DLA and is establishing a $100 million long-term contract to prevent future readiness gaps.
Additionally, DLA Weapons Support and the Naval Sea Systems Command are collaborating to return work back to the Navy for repairable items. Shawn Cody, deputy director of DLA Weapons Support Maritime Supplier Operations, said returning certain valves for repair — especially those with large, expensive-to-manufacture housings — will save taxpayer dollars and reduce unnecessary back orders.
“We’ve seen positive churn and interest by NAVSEA leadership to identify what valves the Navy can begin in-house repair on,” he said. “We’ve already identified 152 valves so far that fit the criteria to be repaired.”
Harnessing advanced and additive manufacturing: DLA is also a player in the adoption of manufacturing technologies, managing the Joint Additive Manufacturing Model Exchange — a secure digital library for sharing 3D-model data across the DOW. As noted in the MIB Program’s 2025 Year in Review, NAVSEA has approved additively manufactured parts for standard supply channels, and DLA is now procuring these components for submarines. This advanced manufacturing is already making an impact, with material properties in some cases exceeding the baselines of traditional casting and forging. The MIB Program reports having printed over 450 submarine and ship parts, including valve components, with next steps focused on qualifying more 3D-printed parts and scaling production.
Early signs of success
“These efforts are already yielding tangible successes for the fleet, including increased production capacity, reduced lead times and decreased overall costs,” Riesbeck said, noting a recent success.
“When the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group required a surge of valves for a major operation in January, we delivered. By leveraging our strengthened supplier relationships and streamlined processes, we successfully filled 33 valve requisitions for 63 units, ensuring the ARG was fully mission-capable for its deployment in South American waters,” she said.
A commitment to maritime security
DLA Weapons Support’s collaboration with the MIB Program underscores the agency’s commitment to U.S. Navy fleet readiness. Through strategic foresight and data-driven supply chain optimization, DLA is addressing immediate readiness gaps while developing a more resilient industrial base.
The integrated approach ensures sailors will have what they need to protect the nation’s interests and maintain maritime security across global points of presence, from the Caribbean to the Pacific, Reisbeck said.