For the military, 3D printing ensures that parts that are no longer produced remain available.
The United States Air Force’s 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base, Japan, recently hosted a course focused on “additive manufacturing,” a process more commonly known as 3D printing. The five-day training session helped prepare airmen to “design, build and field solutions at the speed of need,” where the personnel could “create everything from critical aircraft components to custom tools, medical devices and small unmanned aerial system parts.”
Additive manufacturing is more than just pressing “print,” and the course was designed to highlight that the devil is in the details. Even as 3D printing can replicate key components, it requires an understanding of the technology involved—including computer-aided design (CAD) principles, material selection, operational needs, and proper documentation.
“This course is about creating warfighters who think, adapt, and build at the edge of the battlespace,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andrew Schaeffer, Project Arc director of innovation and instructor of the Layer 1 course at Misawa Air Base. “In doing so, we are cultivating a new generation of Airmen who are not only operators and maintainers, but innovators who can out-think, out-build, and out-pace any challenge thrown at them.”
The recent course was meant to build on Misawa’s Project Falcon Forge, which the Air Force explained was an initiative led by the 35th FW that reverse-engineered and designed “aircraft components in CAD software for industrial-grade 3D printing.” The goal of these efforts is to produce and field “mission-critical parts” quicker than they could be delivered via traditional supply chains.
The US Navy Has a Print Hub in Guam
The Air Force’s new training course on 3D printing coincided with the US Navy announcing that it has established a new 3D printing facility in Guam. The goal of the Guam Additive Materials and Manufacturing Accelerator (GAMMA), set to open in April 2026, is to enable the servicing of vessels without the need to return to the United States. Parts that would not otherwise be available can be recreated locally via 3D printing.
The project is being managed by the Maryland-based nonprofit Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America), which was awarded a $5 million contract in 2024. The contract is funded by the nonprofit BlueForge Alliance and the US Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Program Office.
3D Printing Has Many Military Applications
The concept of additive manufacturing—creating an object by constructing it in many thin layers and building upward—was first conceived of in the early 1800s, but it was not until the 1980s that it became a reality. As technology has advanced, additive manufacturing has proven to be just as precise, and perhaps even more so, than traditional “subtractive manufacturing,” which typically requires milling components from a solid block of material.
For the military, additive manufacturing ensures that parts that are no longer produced remain available. That has benefits over previous methods, which often required cannibalizing one piece of equipment to keep another operational.
In 2022, the US Navy previously announced it was working with multiple vendors—including General Electric, Johns Hopkins APL, Lockheed Martin RMS, Mercury Systems, ReLogic Research, and Charles Stark Draper Laboratory—to develop novel prototype projects using 3D printing technology. The Naval Surface Warfare Center stated at the time that additive manufacturing could be leveraged to safeguard its internal systems from intrusion or attack.
The sea service has further explored 3D printing for submarine parts as a way to address the fragility of the existing industrial base. The service would pair suppliers unable to keep up with the demand with additive manufacturing companies that would print parts around the clock to boost the supply.
A pilot program at Rice University in Texas in 2021 also explored how combat helmets could be produced via additive manufacturing at a cheaper cost while also being more customized to the wearer. It is one of several ongoing programs involving 3D printing.
One should not expect to see warships coming out of the printer—at least not yet—but it is likely that additive manufacturing will play a growing role in repairing the aircraft, warships, and even tanks currently in service.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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