U.S ARMY WANTS DRONES 3D PRINTED IN 24HOURS OR LESS

Army Drone Printing Part One

No plan survives first contact with the enemy, according

to the old military adage, so military equipment is designed to work under a variety of circumstances. What if, though, the Army could know exactly what kind of drone scout they’d need tomorrow, and could print it in 24 hours near the battlefield, ready to use the next day? Earlier this month the Army selected on-demand 3D-printed drones as one of the technologies they’ll test in the 2017 Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments.

Technically, the program is called “On-Demand Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.” It aims to combine the speed and flexibility of printing with the versatility of off-the-shelf parts. Here’s how the Army describes it:

"Small components are procured and assembled into a vehicle," [project team leader Eric] Spero said. "The vehicle is relatively easy to repair or replace, or can be disposed of."

Spero said the on-demand approach also avoids chasing obsolescence of electronic components. When newer components become available on the market, or when mission needs change, each can be incorporated into the software with little delay.

"A small inventory of inexpensive, off-the-shelf electronics enables a wide range of UAS capability," he said.

Like all branches of the American military, the Army already has drones, and they range from the Predator-sized Gray Eagle to the hand-tossed Raven and Puma drones. The Army has thousands of Ravens on hand: they carry high-quality cameras and are simple to launch, but they also cost up to $300,000 apiece when made to military specifications. A Raven-like drone, built from off-the-shelf parts, can cost as little as a few hundred dollars.

By: popular science