Honolulu, HI / Albany, GA -- The Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (PICHTR) and the United States Marine Corps’ Marine Depot Maintenance Command (MDMC) have entered into a formal public-private partnership to advance sustainment and maintenance capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region.
PICHTR is supported as an agile geopolitical, bilateral partnership and defense dual-use expert. PICHTR’s nonprofit flexibility, ability to accept and manage Allied funding, and tested U.S.-Allied contracting of vetted commercial technology supports MDMC with unique access to Allied resources to address regional security. In this public-private partnership with MDMC, PICHTR will engage innovators and industry teams to rapidly prototype and field dual-use technologies where there is a clear demand signal, leveraging Allied incentives and programs in support of MDMC and their government clients. The partnership creates a pathway to leverage the existing industrial base to support defense co-production, expand advanced manufacturing capabilities, and modernize depot operations both within the United States and overseas
Under the terms of the Partnering Agreement (10 U.S.C. § 2474), MDMC will serve as a strategic source of supply and services for PICHTR in support of Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) objectives. The agreement establishes a collaborative framework through which MDMC will provide depot-level maintenance, advanced manufacturing, and field sustainment services for U.S. military equipment and that of Allied and partner forces throughout the region.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to regional security, technological innovation, and operational readiness,” said Ian Kitajima, President of PICHTR. “Working closely with MDMC enables PICHTR to strengthen critical sustainment capabilities and accelerate innovation across the Pacific region, and especially in Japan.”
The agreement establishes a task order structure that will allow PICHTR to leverage MDMC’s infrastructure, expertise, and mission-aligned manufacturing and maintenance capabilities on a reimbursable basis. It also includes provisions for joint use of facilities, logistics, quality assurance, and coordination of efforts under INDOPACOM sustainment programs.
As part of this agreement, PICHTR and MDMC have also executed a Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement to safeguard proprietary and technical information related to unmanned systems fabrication, recurring depot-level requirements, and technology co-development initiatives.
This partnership underscores a long-term vision for resilient logistics, agile sustainment, and public-private innovation to meet the growing demands of national defense and Indo-Pacific mission assurance.