In Tomorrow’s Wars, Battles Will Be Fought With a 3-D Printer

According to Lt. Cmdr. Michael Llenza, who sketched out a scenario of American forces printing out drones from the field in the latest Armed Forces Journal, 3-D printing could arguably “upend the way we think about supply chains, sea basing and even maritime strategy.” And by we, Llenza doesn’t just mean Americans. The Chinese military is already bragging about how they are printing parts for their next-gen aircraft. Wired reports.

Aside from drones — which have already been printed — ammunition could potentially be produced with the machines, as the casings would be “relatively easy,” he writes. (The Pentagon would just have to find a way to produce the propellants.) Additive manufacturing also “offers a new way to think about building shelters or other structures on a beachhead or forward operating base.” The hope, as the theory goes, is that large-scale investments in 3-D printing could take a lot of strain off the supply lines modern military forces depend on to survive.

Read full article in Wired and in Armed Forces Journal: Print when ready, Gridley 3-D printing will streamline the Navy’s supply chain — and much more BY LT. CMDR. MICHAEL LLENZA

White House looks to 3D printing with $200 million plan for military

The White House is looking to 3D printing as a model to revitalize the American manufacturing industry and to help design new weapons and equipement for the military. The Verge reports.

That's the basis of a new $200 million public-private initiative announced by the White House Thursday morning, which will create three new advanced manufacturing centers around the country.

The White House is opening a competitive bidding process to universities and companies to host these centers, but all three will be modeled after a 3D printing institute launched in Ohio late last year, also funded by the government.

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White House Press release: Obama Administration Launches Competition for Three New Manufacturing Innovation Institutes

US army sent 2nd mobile 3D printing labs to Afghanistan Jan 7

The U.S. Army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF) deployed the second mobile laboratory to the war zone in Afghanistan on January 7, 2013. Fox News reports via 3ders.org.

REF is able to set up mobile labs at remote operating bases equipped with 3D printers, CNC mills, laser cutters and water cutters for fabricating parts on the spot.

The mobile lab is a 20-foot container, costs $2.8 million, that can be transported by truck or helicopter to any location.

"Soldiers walk into the lab and say, 'this is my problem.' The PhDs then do the work and show it to the soldiers. The soldiers give them feedback," and they work together tinkering with the tech until it is exactly fit for purpose, explained Westley Brin, product manager with the REF.

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Related:

-- US army builds its own 3D printer

-- Just one more thing. US military working on backpack-sized 3D printer

Just one more thing. US military working on backpack-sized 3D printer

According to ZDNet, the US military has developed a cheap 3D printer that it says could make it easier to print spare parts for soldiers in the battlefield.

The country's armed forces already have a 3D printing lab in action in Southern Afghanistan, but that setup uses a shipping container. The newer printer can fit in a backpack and also costs just $695, according to the US Army.

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Related: - US army builds its own 3D printer

US army builds its own 3D printer

The US military is developing its own 3D printer that it can use to produce spare parts for spacecraft. The BBC reports.

By putting 3D printers behind the front line it hopes to be able to produce spares more cheaply and quickly than it can get them from manufacturers.

The army embarked on the project to produce its own printer as commercial devices were too expensive.

Early versions of the printer cost $695 compared to $3,000 for a commercial model.

The 3D printer has been developed by the Future Warfare centre at the US Army's Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in Alabama.

Read full article.