News
RIMPAC makes largest-ever DOD show of 3D printing and autonomous delivery
1+ hour, 37+ min ago (646+ words) Ivan Avanesov, CEO of Los Angeles-based Splash Industries, talks with reporters July 10, 2026, while standing beside the company’s Typhoon fully autonomous drone at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — The Defense Department is conducting its largest-ever…...
RIMPAC tests drones made from volcanic-rock fiber by Hawaiian company
4+ day, 2+ hour ago (520+ words) Sam Young, founder and CEO of Maui-based Voltage Vessels, poses July 8, 2026, with one of the 3D-printed drones using the company’s proprietary basalt-fiber composite and being tested at this year’s Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii. (Sam Young) An ultra-durable…...
New Marine specialty combines welding, machining and 3D printing
1+ mon, 4+ day ago (330+ words) U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew Cox uses a grinding wheel to fabricate an M240B machine gun mount aboard USS Harpers Ferry, June 22, 2019. The Marine Corps is merging Metal Worker MOS 1316 and Machinist MOS 2161 into a new Fabrication Specialist MOS 1321, effective Oct. 1, 2026. (Adam…...
High-tech ‘Forge’ lets troops build what they need while in the field
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (643+ words) A 3D printer operated by The Forge produces a frame for a small drone during the Balikatan exercise at Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, on April 30, 2026. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes) FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines — When a medieval knight’s sword broke in battle, he…...
Guam’s new 3D-printing hub aims to cut months off military repair wait times
7+ mon, 3+ week ago (481+ words) ASTRO America CEO Neal Orringer speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Guam Additive Manufacturing and Materials Accelerator, or GAMMA, facility in Dededo, Guam, Nov. 6, 2025. (ASTRO America) A Navy-backed 3D-printing lab under construction on Guam aims to slash the monthlong…...
3D-printed barracks will open within 6 months at Fort Bliss
3+ mon, 2+ week ago (1059+ words) Robots that conduct 3D printed construction work on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at Fort Bliss, Texas. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) FORT BLISS, Texas — Massive construction robots are working around the clock here to transform a vacant stretch of land into 10 barracks buildings…...
Soldier turns to 3D printer to fix broken barracks washers
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (408+ words) Army Sgt. Aidan Hanson holds up a 3D-printed washing machine latch on Fort Bragg, N.C., on March 9, 2026. Hanson developed the latch to replace worn-out parts in barracks machines after learning the manufacturer no longer produced the parts. (Prim Hibbard/U.S. Army) It…...
Army starts producing drone case designed by paratroopers from 82nd Airborne
4+ mon, 3+ day ago (671+ words) A simple solution designed by soldiers to protect their small drones during parachute drops into field training exercises is soon headed to more troops, the Army said this month. The little case solves multiple problems paratroopers tasked with drone responsibilities…...
Yokota airman’s 3D printing project could reshape engine repair training
8+ mon, 3+ week ago (547+ words) Tech. Sgt. Tylar Cravens' Star Forge project uses advanced 3D printing to create full-scale composite training engine models, allowing maintainers to practice on realistic equipment without taking aircraft out of service. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes) YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Tech....
From ramps to railheads, Marines explore uses for 3D-printed concrete on Okinawa
9+ mon, 3+ week ago (506+ words) CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa — Marines are applying advances in 3D-printed concrete to military uses ranging from ramps to makeshift railheads, according to the operations chief of the 9th Engineer Support Battalion. First conceived in the 1930s, 3D concrete printing gained momentum in the 1980s with…...