Army Seeks to Expand 3D Printing to the Tactical Edge

October 28, 2024

By Woodrow Bellamy III

The Army has started using its "Jointless Hull" additive and subtractive manufacturing machine at Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center in Illinois, pictured here. However, several Army leaders on an AUSA 2024 conference panel said they're increasingly focused on developing the ability to do 3D printing on the battlefield. (Image: U.S. Army)

During AUSA 2024, leadership from several Army units that focus on material, manufacturing and sustainment discussed how the Army is expanding its use of 3D printing and advanced manufacturing capabilities to the “point of need” and “tactical edge,” or regions and areas that are close to conflict and war zones.

According to comments made by several Army officials on the “Bringing the OIB to the Tactical Edge” during the 2024 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference and exhibition, the Army Materiel Command, Organic Industrial Base (OIB), and Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) are jointly leading this effort for the Army.

The Army describes OIB as its collection of 23 total U.S.-based arsenals, depots and ammunition plants that manufacture and maintain all the weapons, tactical gear, platforms, and technologies used and operated by soldiers.

But the Army is increasingly taking technicians and engineers out of those depots and arsenals and placing them closer to the battlefield, at the tactical edge, side-by-side with soldiers doing repairs, fabrication, and a wide variety of other tasks.

“At any given time, there are about 600 to 1,000 OIB artisans outside the fence lines of their installations,” said Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, Deputy Commanding General and Acting Commander of Army Materiel Command, who spoke on the OIB panel. “These are specialized teams of technical experts that are shoulder to shoulder with our units, assisting with maintenance and training, and saving the Army time and money.”

The use of 3D printing on the battlefield is not a new concept for the Army, as the Department of Defense showed in a December 2023 update of ongoing research and development projects with more than 10 different 3D printing and materials companies for both on and off battlefield 3D printing. A June 2024 Forbes article also highlights the use of 3D printing for equipment used by the Ukrainian military for everything from Starlink satellite receivers to drone parts, magazine clips and military helmet attachments from a startup called Wildbees Poland that purchases 3D printers with money from online donations.

The Army’s new internal strategy for all forms of manufacturing is to leverage the technical data they have about parts and components that they can design and make on-demand.

While the Army Materiel Command continues to invest in new advanced manufacturing equipment at its main manufacturing hub at Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center in Illinois, Army leadership expressed the need to have 3D printing available in locations outside of the U.S., as close to the battlefield or tactical edge as possible.

TACOM’s Maj. Gen. Michael B. Lalor (center) speaks Oct. 16, 2024 at the “Bringing the Organic Industrial Base to the Tactical Edge” panel at the AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C. (Image: U.S. Army)

“Advanced manufacturing production, I think more people are starting to understand and know what we’re doing out there at the point of need every day. Within the last eight months, we have really pushed that forward and started serving as a catalyst for change in the Army,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Lalor, Commanding General for U.S. Army TACOM. “We’re making sure that we push through our concept of battle, damage, repair, and fabrication. The idea is, if we can make a part right now and make it mission capable, we do it.“

Outside of the U.S., other nations are starting to invest in the use of field-deployable 3D printers as well. In a May press release for example, the U.K. Ministry of Defense described how the British Army used both metal and plastic mobile printers in the field, marking the first time the technology had been used by any military in direct support of a large-scale North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Exercise.

The release describes how the metal printed technology works for the British Army, starting with the use of computer aided design to digitally design and produce the component. “A fine metal powder, such as copper, aluminum, or steel, is then fired through a nozzle at three times the speed of sound as a mechanical arm shapes the component, building the object one layer at a time. Once constructed, the component is then subjected to post-processing such as heat treating, milling, and finishing.”

Ronald R. Ragin, Commanding General, 21st Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, also spoke on the OIB panel, and provided a unique perspective on the concept of 3D printing on the battlefield, while also ensuring the availability of maintenance and repair facilities closer to theater.

Ragin said that one of the capabilities he’d like to see the Army have at the tactical edge is the ability to 3D print a wiring harness, among other parts.

"It's about having additive manufacturing capabilities and 3D printing in the right locations, forward in theater," Ragin said during the panel discussion. “The Ukrainian war has reminded us of universal truths, the first truth it reminds me of is that we always underestimate the scale of munitions and the material that is required to win on the battlefield. Second, the side that can produce the most for the longest will probably have an advantage on the battlefield. Third, technology and innovation will always be a decisive factor in current and future wars.”