Metal 3D Printing in the Defense Industry, Six Technologies You Should Know
I have been following this industry for ten years. This is the first in a series of three texts on additive manufacturing in the defense industry, and it...
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Defence
Analysis by Svetozar Kolesar
Plastic 3D Printing in the Defense Industry, Six Technologies You Should Know
This is the second text in the series on additive manufacturing in the defense industry. The first text covered metal 3D printing, this one covers plastic....
Trends in Metal 3D Printing
Metal 3D printing is growing, but slower and more selectively than predicted. What independent reports show for 2025 and 2026, who drives growth and what it means for companies in the region.
Latest news
Nikon AM to build two-meter metal printers for Tomahawk missile mid-bodies
Nikon Advanced Manufacturing has received a US Department of War contract to deliver several customized laser powder bed fusion systems with a build height of two meters. They are meant for Tomahawk Land Attack Missile mid-bodies and similar parts. The work will run at the company's Long Beach technology center, with the department funding the large-format capacity directly.
Aurora Labs raises A$6 million to move 3D printed turbojets into series production
Aurora Labs, an Australian metal additive manufacturing company, is raising A$6 million through a share placement to expand production of its AU4 turbojet engines for defence and aerospace customers. The money will fund production lines, commercial metal printing equipment and staff. The raise shows a shift from selling printing technology to manufacturing engines, while the company's annual revenue remains small.
Ohio hub seeks US suppliers for small drone parts, additive manufacturing eligible
The Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace & Defense in Ohio is looking for US companies that can supply components and manufacturing services for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). The initiative is run by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and is aimed in particular at manufacturers based in Ohio. Providers of additive manufacturing processes are eligible in principle, provided they meet the required quality and certification standards. The call shows that drone supply chains in the US are looking for local production capacity, and that additive capacity can be part of the offer. The teaser does not name a deadline, budget or volume, so details should be checked with the NCDMM directly.
Firehawk raises over 150 million dollars to develop 3D printed rocket propellants
US defence company Firehawk Defense has raised more than 150 million US dollars in a Series D funding round, valuing the company at over 1.4 billion US dollars. Advent and Rochefort Asset Management led the round. The capital is intended in particular to expand a manufacturing approach in which thermoplastic rocket propellants can also be processed by 3D printing. The teaser gives no further details on volumes, customers or timelines.
Sandia's CAMINO delivers printed parts in one week instead of four to six months
Sandia National Laboratories reports first results from CAMINO, its advanced manufacturing center that opened on February 12. Additive manufacturing supplied parts to an internal team in one week, where machining needs four to six months. The center is a development and training site, not a production facility.
Metal share of funded Chinese AM suppliers rises as US aerospace funding holds steady
An AMPulse analysis of equity financing from 2021 to 2025 shows diverging patterns in China and the United States. In China, the number of funded AM suppliers fell from 117 in 2021-2022 to 100 in 2024-2025, while metal-focused companies rose from 49 to 53. Their share grew from about 42% to 53%, and polymer-focused recipients dropped from 46 to 16. In the US, metal's share stayed near 28%. The number of funded US companies fell from 90 in 2021 to 61 in 2025, but aerospace and defense recipients held between 18 and 21 each year, rising to about 34% of the 2025 cohort. The analysis counts recorded recipients, not invested sums. It also notes that services make up about 53% of the $16 billion AM market in 2025 per AM Research, while service companies show a much lower rate of recorded funding events than hardware companies.
Precision Resource adds two US metal AM sites built around 3D Systems DMP printers
Precision Resource is setting up two additive manufacturing facilities, in Huntington Beach, California, and Shelton, Connecticut, both due to run in Q1 2027. Each will combine 3D Systems metal printers with heat treatment and machining, so that printed parts can be finished in-house for commercial and defence customers.
Reinforce3D brings fiber-injection reinforcement for printed drone parts to North America
Spanish company Reinforce3D reinforces printed parts after the build by pushing continuous fiber through channels designed into the geometry. Impac Systems Engineering in Texas is now its exclusive distributor for the US and Canada and runs a CFIP Delta system for demonstrations. A documented VTOL drone project shows the weight and cycle time figures.
Kratos adds large-format AMCM M 8K metal printer for hypersonic work in Indiana
US defence technology company Kratos has purchased a metal 3D printer of the AMCM M 8K type. The machine is to be installed at its facility in Odon, Indiana. The company plans to expand its capacity for large metal components, particularly for development and test programmes in hypersonic technology. The report describes the AMCM machine as a large-format system, but the source excerpt is cut off before giving further technical specifications such as build volume or process details.
Kratos orders eight-laser AMCM M 8K to print large hypersonic parts in Indiana
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will install an AMCM M 8K, a large-format multi-laser metal powder bed fusion system from the EOS brand AMCM, at its Indiana Payload Integration Facility in Odon. The machine is meant to produce large components for affordable, high-cadence hypersonic systems. It is a sign that defense primes are moving large-format metal AM in-house.
X-Bow and Leidos to build printed rocket boosters for US Army low-cost missile
X-Bow Systems, a maker of solid rocket motors that uses additive manufacturing, has agreed with Leidos to develop and build boosters for the US Army's Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM) programme. The programme sits under the "Arsenal of Freedom" initiative to rebuild the US defence industrial base. X-Bow says it has already produced more than 2,100 combat-ready motors.
California signs law on firearm detection in 3D printers, tied to a future ASTM standard
California has enacted a law that will oblige 3D printer makers to build in features that block firearm printing, but only after ASTM International issues a standard for such technology. It is the second US state to do so after New York. Because no standard exists yet, the duty may never take effect.
Japan orders Terra B1 3D printed interceptor drones in volume
Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency has approved mass procurement of the Terra B1, a printed interceptor drone from Terra Drone, after a Maritime Self-Defense Force demonstration. The B1 builds on the A1 model, already deployed by Ukraine. Domestic production is due to start in September, and it signals that low-cost drone defence is moving into serial procurement.
Texas federal judge overturns ATF frame and receiver rule on ghost gun kits
A federal judge in the Northern District of Texas has struck down the 2022 ATF rule that treats convertible gun part kits like complete firearms. The ruling matters for 3D printing because several US states are separately moving to restrict printers over ghost guns. An appeal to the Fifth Circuit is considered likely.
Navy carrier prints a dozen drones and 1,000 parts at sea with Firestorm xCell
During the transit to RIMPAC 2026, a containerized xCell factory aboard the USS Essex produced twelve Squall drones and more than 1,000 parts. It was the first maritime run of Firestorm Labs' platform, and printing continued in waves of up to 12 ft. The output included spare parts for Apache helicopters.
Stratasys Q2 2026: record consumables and 17% aerospace growth, flat total revenue
Stratasys reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $137.6 million, roughly level with the prior year and up 3.7% from the first quarter. Consumables hit a record $66.3 million and aerospace and defense revenue grew 17%, while the company still booked a GAAP net loss of $16.9 million. Management keeps its full-year targets but no longer expects positive operating cash flow for 2026.
Stratasys gets $7.8 million to build in-process quality monitoring for FDM
Stratasys has been awarded $7.8 million through the 2026 America Makes and Department of War Organic Industrial Base Modernization Challenge. The 24-month project will develop on-site quality assurance for the F3300 and F900 industrial FDM platforms. The aim is to generate process data during the build and so reduce reliance on post-build inspection and qualification.
UltiMaker adds Factor 4 Plus to its line for round-the-clock industrial and defense printing
UltiMaker has announced the Factor 4 Plus, a new printer positioned for continuous production in industrial and defense settings. The announcement was published on 21 May 2026. The available report gives only the headline, so technical specifications, pricing and availability are not confirmed here.