From Material Maturity to Fleet Execution: What Comes Next for Additive Manufacturing in the U.S. Navy

• Navy moves additive manufacturing from experimental to routine shipbuilding and sustainment. • Maritime Industrial Base Program partners with technical community to reduce risk. • Material maturity framework classifies AM materials against legacy casting/forging. • Phased R&D, testing focus on corrosion, mechanics, defect tolerance. • 2026 milestone: interchangeability guidance for two AM materials (L-PBF, DED). • Interchangeable parts install and perform like legacy components, no extra engineering.

Sources:

• https://3dprint.com/323936/from-material-maturity-to-fleet-execution-what-comes-next-for-additive-manufacturing-in-the-u-s-navy/