It has been decades since the rest of the nation saw Michigan’s vital contribution to our national defense. But our deep, diverse, and dense manufacturing capabilities and research and development expertise provide an almost limitless potential to grow new jobs here in military-related business.

For the first time in Michigan's history, the state has an office dedicated solely to increasing the state’s presence as a supplier of defense and homeland security-related hardware and R&D. Last July, retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Bradley Lott signed on to head our new Defense Contract Coordination Center. Gen. Lott brings an insider’s perspective to this effort. He previously commanded the Marine Corps Logistics Command with responsibility for its world-wide supply chain management. His five combat tours provide real-world know-how in the complexities of military requirements.

Gen. Lott is armed with a $10 million appropriation from the 21st Century Jobs Fund to bring more federal military spending to Michigan. In 2005, our share of this market approached nearly $1 billion.

One of our notable innovators is Advanced Defense Vehicle Systems (ADVS) in Macomb County. They are developing heavy-armored ‘advanced tactical trucks’ to protect coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan from insurgents’ explosive devices. ADVS has patents pending on four-, six- and eight-wheeled vehicles, unique in the ability of their drivetrains to move heavy weight.

Defense manufacturers in Michigan include General GE Aviation (formerly Smiths Aerospace), Grand Rapids, and L-3 Communications in Muskegon, Alcoa Howmet (Whitehall), Patriot Antenna (Albion), ArvinMeritor (Troy), and Spartan Motors (Charlotte).

On the homeland security side, federal funds are being applied to new technologies in prevention (biometrics, vaccines, intelligent systems, cargo screening systems), detection (bio and radiation sensors, training), reaction (emergency medical service (EMS) equipment, communications, computer modeling) and recovery (bioremediation and decontamination).

Among Michigan’s critical innovators are: Emergent BioSolutions (formerly BioPort) in Lansing, making the only FDA-approved anthrax vaccine; Dexter Research Center (Dexter), which produces gas analysis detectors [actually infrared spectrum detectors—Dexter Research] for fire suppression units on armored vehicles; Starpharma (Mount Pleasant) which is developing water remediation based on dendritic nanotechnology; while University of Michigan researchers are seeking nanotech solutions to deliver painkillers to wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

Michigan’s manufacturing and R&D contributions to our military span more than 70 years. Today we are positioned to again play a vital role in our nation’s homeland defense.

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