In October 2026, 3D Printing Industry analyzed the U.S. Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) strategy for fiscal years 2026-2031, released on September 30: for the first time, the strategy lists 'driving manufacturing technology transition and adoption' as one of four strategic focus areas, replaces the term 'Valley of Death' with 'transition corridor,' and explicitly anchors the R&D portfolio in the MRL 4-7 range (from prototype development to demonstration in relevant environments), with the goal of moving technologies into programs of record and the broader industrial base. The strategy requires that industrial base analysis and technology transition pathways be integrated from the very start of a project's life cycle, and names acquisition executives, WIRE, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS), and the Defense Production Act Title III mechanism as transition partners; it also lists additive manufacturing separately under the 'Advanced Manufacturing and Materials' category, alongside cold spray and friction stir welding. JAMWG remains the DoD's core coordinating body for additive manufacturing, and America Makes remains its additive manufacturing innovation institute. The strategy envisions restructuring capacity resilience through distributed production: digital designs could be securely dispatched to certified additive manufacturing cells or automated production lines nationwide, or even to forward locations; in-situ monitoring, CT inspection, and the digital thread will link manufacturing conditions to final performance, reducing reliance on exhaustive physical testing. The analysis also notes that none of the cases listed in the strategy's 'history of success' chapter clearly belongs to an additive manufacturing project, a striking contrast. Value for powder buyers: (1) A transition-and-adoption orientation means certification and batch consistency are valued more highly than technical parameters themselves, so powder suppliers must strengthen process data and digital thread capabilities; (2) distributed production will spawn more small certified printing nodes, increasing demand for small-batch, multi-grade powder purchasing; (3) the defense supply chain's emphasis on traceability will spill over into high-end civilian markets, so powder suppliers should build batch traceability systems in advance.