The Navy released new technical requirements on Aug. 11 to rapidly scale metallic additive manufacturing across submarine construction, maintenance, overhaul and repair.
The Pentagon’s “submarine czar” Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher will deliver a keynote address at the 2026 Navy Summit. The Aug. 27 event will bring together senior Navy leaders, defense officials and industry executives to discuss digital modernization, autonomous systems, and other technologies shaping the future of naval operations. Secure your spot now!
How Is the Navy Expanding Additive Manufacturing?
The framework creates a repeatable technical pathway for substituting traditional cast and wrought components with 3D-printed metallic materials. The approach is designed to eliminate redundant engineering assessments, drawing changes and first-article testing that have historically slowed the adoption of additive manufacturing components, the Navy said Friday.
By streamlining those processes, the Navy expects engineers, shipbuilders and suppliers to deploy qualified additive manufacturing solutions more rapidly across the submarine enterprise.
“Additive manufacturing gives us a tool to get after supply chain constraints and part obsolescence by reducing the time it takes to get critical capability to our warfighters,” said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, director of submarine programs.
Led by the Submarine Industrial Base Program Office’s Advanced Manufacturing team, along with Navy stakeholders, shipbuilders and suppliers, the mission is to scale advanced manufacturing technologies, increase industrial throughput, strengthen the supply chain and maximize fleet availability.
How Does Additive Manufacturing Support the Navy’s Submarine Production Goals?
Gaucher said the Navy’s efforts to scale advanced manufacturing capabilities would not come at the expense of safety or quality standards.
For high-consequence applications, including Level I material control and SUBSAFE systems, additive manufacturing materials remain subject to applicable Navy quality requirements.
Increasing the use of 3D-printed metal components could help alleviate production bottlenecks and supply chain constraints that affect both new construction and sustainment, as the Navy is pursuing additive manufacturing as part of its broader effort to expand submarine industrial capacity and meet its “1+2” production objective: building one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines annually while maintaining the existing submarine fleet.
