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U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez on Monday announced $5 million in funding for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.
Gonzalez, D-Brownsville, said in a news release that the funding was made possible through the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program.
That program aims to increase national security through community investment efforts.
“This grant is a huge win for UTRGV and for our national defense,” Gonzalez said in a news release. “It will allow our nation’s defense manufacturing industries to increase the production of tactical alloys found throughout our military’s supply chains. Ensuring we have robust manufacturing is essential to keeping our armed forces readily equipped at large scales.”
The number of U.S. casting and forging facilities has dropped from 22,000 to 2,000 since 1992 because of offshoring, downsizing and consolidation, according to the release.
“This has negatively impacted our military’s ability to produce equipment ranging from turbine blades to warships,” the release stated.
The funding will support certificate and training programs, allowing UTRGV to serve as a regional hub to demonstrate the latest manufacturing methods for tactical alloys, according to the release.
