- RIMPAC will evaluate distributed manufacturing for operational logistics
- CAMRE will combine advanced manufacturing, AI and unmanned systems
- The 2026 Navy Summit will examine AI, Project Overmatch and digital engineering
The Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education, or CAMRE, will conduct a demonstration for Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, 2026, bringing together military, government, academic, commercial and coalition partners to evaluate capabilities supporting distributed logistics, fleet readiness and operational sustainment.
The Potomac Officers Club will host the 2026 Navy Summit on Aug. 27, a critical event hosting military, government and industry leaders to discuss technologies and initiatives shaping the future naval force. The summit will feature discussions about artificial intelligence, digital engineering, Project Overmatch, network modernization and other priorities supporting maritime operations. Sign up now!
NPS said Tuesday the demonstration, which organizers describe as the largest advanced manufacturing effort of its kind in Department of War history, will integrate advanced manufacturing, AI and unmanned systems into a single operational demonstration for the first time.
The effort will feature advanced manufacturing systems deployed aboard ships and at locations across Hawaii to support distributed logistics, produce replacement parts and assess emerging technologies in an operational environment.
What Is RIMPAC 2026?
RIMPAC 2026 is a multinational maritime exercise involving 35 countries, approximately 40 surface ships, five submarines, more than 140 aircraft and 25,000 personnel across the Hawaiian Islands.
During the exercise, NPS students, faculty and partners will evaluate whether distributed manufacturing networks can support operational requirements by connecting manufacturing capabilities, technical expertise and production capacity across military, government, academic and industry organizations.
“Rather than focusing on a single manufacturing technology, the demonstration will execute the complete workflow of expeditionary manufacturing, from receiving a digital request and identifying available production capacity to manufacturing through distributed nodes, transporting and delivering parts in support of operational forces,” CAMRE Program Manager Chris Curran said. “The objective is to demonstrate how advanced manufacturing complements an integrated logistics network in contested environments.”
What Capabilities Will CAMRE Demonstrate at RIMPAC 2026?
The RIMPAC demonstration will showcase several capabilities, including:
- Distributed manufacturing networks — Digital requests will identify qualified production capacity and enable parts to be manufactured closer to operational forces.
- Shipboard additive manufacturing — Researchers will evaluate metal powder production aboard a Canadian ship before using the material to manufacture components at sea.
- Counter-unmanned aircraft system experimentation — CAMRE will coordinate additively manufactured drone platforms produced by military, academic and industry partners.
- Autonomous maritime logistics — Digitally crewed surface vessels will deliver additively manufactured parts to U.S. and partner nation ships.
- Joint Advanced Manufacturing System — The digital command-and-control platform will manage manufacturing requests, assign production across the network and track parts from fabrication through delivery.
“The globally-distributed manufacturing model gives commanders and program offices resiliency in their supply chains,” Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael Radigan, CAMRE advanced manufacturing and repair operations subject matter expert. “Enabling service members to train to the highest standards for producing the most critical of parts, ensures operating forces have valid options across the globe to maintain readiness and lethality.”
What Is FLEETWERX?
FLEETWERX is an innovation hub created in 2023 through a partnership intermediary agreement between NPS and DEFENSEWERX. The Monterey, California-based hub connects government, academia and industry to support collaboration on technologies addressing operational challenges.
According to NPS, FLEETWERX helps identify and integrate commercial technologies into operational experimentation while giving faculty, students and industry partners opportunities to evaluate emerging capabilities in realistic military environments. Several industry partners participating in the RIMPAC demonstrations joined the effort through FLEETWERX.
“The military doesn’t need more isolated technology demonstrations. It needs a better understanding of how emerging capabilities contribute to readiness,” said Morgan Bower, director of FLEETWERX. “Technology only matters if it solves an operational problem, and exercises like RIMPAC help the government understand exactly where these capabilities provide value.”
