U.S. Military Tests 3D Printers and Autonomous Boats at RIMPAC to Overcome Pacific Distance Challenges
During the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in Hawaii, the U.S. military is conducting its largest advanced manufacturing demonstration to date, testing technologies like self-driving boats and rugged 3D printers that can be parachuted from aircraft. The goal is to overcome the 'tyranny of distance' in the Pacific theater by enabling rapid, on-demand production and delivery of replacement parts. Key technologies on display include Firestorm's expeditionary manufacturing cell, Fieldmade's parachutable 3D printer, Snowbird Technologies' shipboard printer, Havoc's 14-foot autonomous boat, and Splash Industries' Typhoon drone boat, which recently executed the first autonomous resupply of a warship at sea. Marine Lt. Col. Michael Radigan described the effort as 'Uber for manufacturing delivered at the speed of Amazon,' emphasizing that while the technology is mature, the challenge lies in operationalizing advanced manufacturing at scale across the theater.
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