A U.S. military corrosion policy official advocated for investing in new technologies and materials to reduce corrosion, which would improve reliability and reduce the overall maintenance burden.

Robert Herron, the Department of Defense (DoD) director of corrosion policy and oversight, made his remarks in Monday's “Safeguarding Military Assets” session during the AMPP Annual Conference + Expo 2025 in Nashville.

He provided a comprehensive overview of corrosion’s impact on military readiness, with a particular focus on weapon system reliability and maintenance. He emphasized the challenges the department faces due to corrosion, including its effect on operational availability and the strain on maintenance resources.

Herron noted that a significant portion of weapon systems, particularly in aviation, are failing to meet operational availability requirements partly because of corrosion, which is contributing to system failures and maintenance delays. Corrosion specialists from U.S. military branches also addressed the audience.

"We are spending 29% of our dollars on preventive maintenance versus 62% on corrective maintenance,” Herron said. The remainder is uncategorized.

He spoke of the “reliability premise” that low system reliability reduces overall readiness by increasing the need for corrective maintenance. This, in turn, places a strain on both the supply chain and labor force, both of which are already under pressure.

“Rather than focusing solely on increasing labor, we could introduce new technologies or materials to reduce corrosion and improve reliability,” Herron said.

In his introductory remarks, AMPP CEO Alan Thomas—himself a U.S. Coast Guard veteran—said he’s spent the past several weeks in Washington, DC, explaining to lawmakers and agencies that corrosion is a matter of national security.

“Coatings are the first line of defense for our defense,” he said. “If the asset is not deployable due to corrosion, then it’s a worthless asset.”

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