US military wants to enable on-demand 3D printing of drones

The US military wants to use 3D printers to ensure that soldiers on the ground can access newly-manufactured drones within 24 hours, if they request it. This on-demand drone production is part of an experiment that will be carried out in the near future.

In a post on its website, the US military explains that it has been selected as part of the so-called Aewe program that tests new technology for the military. The on-demand printing of drones with specific characteristics for the mission is one of the fifty new techniques being investigated.

The idea is that soldiers, when they see fit, can request drones, which are then directly produced using a 3D printer. This allows the army to respond quickly to developments on the battlefield and to create unmanned aerial vehicles with properties that are useful during the respective mission. Incidentally, the drone is assembled using parts that are already present and specific, customized parts that come from a 3D printer. Using a 3d printer should also provide cost savings.

It is not yet clear whether and when the 3D drone printing service will be available for all army units, because it is still a test. The plans are being implemented in collaboration with scientists, after which the results will be demonstrated at the Aewe event, to be held early next year in the US state of Georgia.