The award is given each year to a government or private sector organization most responsible for a specific innovative manufacturing technology achievement. The award is given by the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel and Delores M. Etter, Ph.D., deputy undersecretary of defense for science and technology.
The ACI's work has greatly reduced the cost and increased the yield of traveling wave tube devices for critical military applications. It has also created a U.S. source for the devices, which were previously imported from Europe.