The U.S. Marine Corps is demonstrating how advanced manufacturing could transform military logistics by allowing equipment to be produced much closer to where it is actually needed.
During Valiant Shield 26 in Okinawa, Japan, Marines worked alongside engineers from Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division to construct a 7-meter foam raiding craft using an expeditionary manufacturing process that included large-format polymer 3D printing.
The project was part of Resilient Advanced Manufacturing for Contested Environments (RAMFORCE), an initiative exploring how advanced manufacturing could help deployed forces repair, replace and manufacture equipment without relying entirely on traditional supply chains.
Manufacturing a Boat Near the Point of Need
The demonstration wasn’t simply about building an experimental boat.
The larger goal was to demonstrate how manufacturing equipment could be deployed closer to military operations and used to produce functional platforms from digital designs.
The manufacturing process combined three major technologies:
Large-format polymer 3D printing
CNC routing
Spray foam and coating
Together, these technologies were used to manufacture and finish the modular craft.
From Digital File to Physical Equipment
One of the most important ideas behind the project is the ability to move digital manufacturing data instead of finished equipment.
Traditionally, large components and equipment may need to be manufactured at established facilities before being transported thousands of miles to their destination.
With deployable advanced-manufacturing systems, a digital design could potentially be transferred electronically and manufactured much closer to where the equipment is required.
That could help reduce transportation requirements while giving deployed teams greater manufacturing flexibility.
The Craft Went to Sea
This wasn’t simply a static demonstration.
After manufacturing and assembly, the unmanned foam raiding craft was operated using remote-control capabilities at White Beach, Okinawa.
Taking the craft from digital manufacturing to an operational water demonstration provided an important test of the expeditionary manufacturing concept.
Why 3D Printing Matters
Large-format additive manufacturing allows engineers to produce components and tooling that would traditionally require access to established industrial infrastructure.
For military operations spread across large geographic regions, the ability to manufacture closer to the point of need could become particularly valuable.
Instead of asking:
“How quickly can we ship this equipment?”
Advanced manufacturing introduces another possibility:
“Can we manufacture it where we need it?”
Beyond One Boat
The 7-meter raiding craft represents more than a single manufacturing experiment.
The underlying production approach could potentially be adapted to other platforms and components, creating a more flexible manufacturing system capable of responding to different operational requirements.
It also demonstrates how digital engineering, additive manufacturing, CNC technology and advanced materials can work together as part of one distributed production system.
The Future of Distributed Manufacturing
Additive manufacturing has already moved far beyond producing prototypes and small plastic components.
Large-format systems are increasingly demonstrating the ability to contribute to tooling, transportation, aerospace, maritime and defense applications.
Projects like this show another potential direction for the technology: mobile and distributed manufacturing.
The factory of the future may not always be a massive building located thousands of miles away.
Sometimes, the factory could travel with the mission.
