US Military Expands Expeditionary 3D Printing Capabilities in Pacific

The U.S. military is actively transferring expeditionary 3D printing and digital manufacturing expertise to its partners in the Pacific. During this year's Balikatan exercise, U.S. Army specialists from the 25th Infantry Division, known as 'The Forge,' trained Filipino troops in jungle-based manufacturing. This initiative aligns with the Indo-Pacific Command's strategic focus on building deployable additive manufacturing capabilities in the region.

Reinforcing this commitment, the U.S. military has supplied Marines stationed in Okinawa with the Advanced Integrated Mobile Machine Shop (AIMMS). Developed by U.S. Navy civil engineers, AIMMS is a containerized unit that appears to integrate a Phillips Additive Hybrid system, featuring a Haas CNC mill and laser metal deposition technology from brands like Meltio. The Phillips Additive Hybrid is already a standard for the U.S. Navy due to its proven deployability on naval vessels.

While not designed for on-the-move printing, the AIMMS's mobility allows it to be transported to various locations, facilitating the resupply of critical parts closer to the point of need. This mobility also supports training initiatives, enabling the system to be deployed for educational purposes. The system's design includes a built-in training curriculum, with service members requiring approximately a week and a half to learn its basic operations, a timeframe becoming standard for introducing military personnel to digital manufacturing.

Feedback from initial trials of the AIMMS at Okinawa and Camp Pendleton is being used by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock to refine future versions of the system. The upcoming participation of Phillips in the RIMPAC exercise, the world's largest international maritime event, where they will demonstrate the Additive Hybrid system, suggests that the AIMMS deployment in Okinawa is part of a broader strategic context. This also points to potential knowledge sharing with allies like Japan, a key partner in RIMPAC and a nation with whom the U.S. collaborates on industrial policy.