Tobyhanna Depot Ties Operations to Army Goals
Tobyhanna Army Depot unveiled a campaign plan linking its work to Department of War priorities, including a new drone partnership.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Manufacturing
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Tobyhanna Army Depot introduced a campaign plan built around investing in people, joint force readiness and shaping the future. The plan links the depot's daily operations to the goals of Army Materiel Command, the Communications-Electronics Command, the U.S. Army and the Department of War.
Why it matters
The plan is intended to help the depot keep pace with fast-moving military technology and to support efforts to strengthen the federal workforce and rebuild supply chains. Domestic production of components reduces reliance on foreign suppliers, according to the depot.
The campaign plan includes a $68 million radar testing campus expansion and forward support at more than 60 fixed locations worldwide under the DOW Regional Sustainment Framework. The source does not specify the timeline for completing the expansion.
The players
Tobyhanna Army Depot
A Pennsylvania-based Army facility designated as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for C5ISR, avionics, electronics, and missile guidance and control.
Darkhive
A company that signed a cooperative agreement with Tobyhanna Army Depot to speed up small drone production.
Department of War
The federal department whose goals the depot's campaign plan is tied to, including strengthening the workforce and rebuilding supply chains.
The details
The plan includes added capability at a microelectronics manufacturing facility and an Industrial Control Network pilot to improve visibility and cybersecurity for production floor equipment. In August, the depot signed a cooperative agreement with Darkhive to speed up small drone production, its first partnership under a Title 10 authority allowing Army industrial facilities to work with outside companies.
Timeline
April: Army senior leaders signed the Organic Industrial Base Transformation Strategy.
August: Tobyhanna signed a cooperative agreement with Darkhive for small drone production.
Late October 2026: The depot announced its campaign plan.
Coming year: Low-rate and full-rate production of small unmanned aircraft system motors is planned.
Feb. 4, 2027: The 2027 Defense R&D Summit is scheduled at the Potomac Officers Club.
Manufacturing Context
The campaign plan sits inside the Army's Organic Industrial Base Transformation Strategy signed in April, which the depot's operations are meant to serve. Tobyhanna was also named in the first tranche of the Army's Strategic Capital Initiative, placing its work within that program's early funding round.
Pennsylvania residents and businesses in the defense supply chain may see new local work tied to drone component production and microelectronics. The plan's focus on domestic production could shape which regional suppliers are needed in coming years.
The takeaway
Tobyhanna's plan shows how a single depot can tie local production to national defense priorities. Watch for the coming-year rollout of small drone motor production as the first measurable test of these goals.
What happens next
The 2027 Defense R&D Summit will be held at the Potomac Officers Club on Feb. 4, 2027, and low-rate production of small UAS motors is planned in the coming year.
Further reading
For more on the state's industrial base, see Manufacturing coverage across Pennsylvania.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Executive Gov.
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