Stratasys has confirmed its participation in a US Navy Fleet experimentation exercise that demonstrated how advanced manufacturing could keep military units operational at sea and in forward-deployed locations.
As part of the Trident Warrior 25 exercise, Stratasys supported the Joint Advanced Manufacturing Cell (JAMC) with field-deployable 3D printers and on-demand production through Stratasys Direct. FLEETWERX and the Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) have been named as collaborators in the exercise.
The JAMC was the Department of Defense’s largest distributed manufacturing demonstration to date, connecting assets across more than 8,000 miles. The exercise allowed the Navy to print parts in theatre or reach back to Stratasys Direct for higher-volume or complex production, creating a wide-ranging ecosystem of support and options across forward-deployed locations.
During the exercise, seven different sites across the globe leveraged Stratasys printers, with all parts said to meet U.S. military specifications. Trident Warrior 25 also demonstrated that by deploying 3D printers in the field, there is reduced reliance on traditional logistics chains. Lightweight, corrosion-resistant polymer parts were used to create new components, replace broken parts, and produce rapid prototypes in-theatre, supported by reach-back production from Stratasys Direct.
“Trident Warrior 25 demonstrated the value of a multi-echelon polymer advanced manufacturing network,” said Morgan Bower, Program Manager, FLEETWERX. “By pairing field-ready solutions in forward-deployed environments with cutting-edge manufacturing expertise, the team cut lead times for critical components and boosted mission resilience.”
“Our collaboration with Stratasys and FLEETWERX during Trident Warrior highlights how academia, industry, and the military can work together to validate and accelerate new technologies,” added Chris C. Curran, Program Manager, CAMRE. “These efforts are crucial to building resilient, distributed manufacturing ecosystems for the fleet.”
“We’re focused on integrating advanced manufacturing into logistics and maintenance operations to enhance readiness and resilience,” offered Lieutenant Colonel, Michael D. Radigan, U.S. Marine Corps., Marine Innovation Unit. “Exercises like Trident Warrior demonstrate how distributed manufacturing will add resilience to supply chains and deliver increased readiness and lethality to combatant commanders.”
