The Pentagon has some new help thanks to a new research lab at the University of Kentucky.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was on hand for the ribbon cutting at the next generation Additive Manufacturing Research Laboratory.

It is the newest addition to the Pigman College of Engineering.

Senator McConnell helped bring in $25 million of federal funding for the lab, which will develop products for the Department of Defense as well as civilian use.

McConnell says given the world situation right now, it's a good time to increase the country's defense spending.

Well, I think we've certainly learned in the last few years that this is a challenge facing us.

Reminiscent of the period leading up to World War Two.

This is a very, very dangerous period we're in with two big power competitors, Russia and China, a sort of satellite state, Iran all working together against the democratic parts of the world.

So this is extremely important.

And what you see here today is an example of what we need to do, which is to rebuild our industrial base.

We sort of took a holiday from history for a while, and our allies in Europe did as well.

But we're awake now.

This is a part of how I intend to spend the next two years using whatever influence I may have to help America understand that we need to increase defense spending.

We need to improve our industrial base to get ready for the long term competition that lies ahead of us.

This national unique research lab is perhaps the most advanced collection of additive manufacturing machines and systems and tools, along with the the supporting infrastructure in an academic setting.

And these new technologies, UK research team and research partners, including several industry partners who are here in this opening ceremony, the opportunity to push the limits of push the boundaries of innovation and help establish UK as the world leader in advanced manufacturing.

The new lab kicks off a $50 million five year partnership between UK, the University of Tennessee and the U.S. Army to improve manufacturing capability in the U.S..