Pentagon eyes 3D-printed military boats made from volcanic fiber — non-conductive hulls add stealth capabilities while replacing a 6,545-mile supply chain, could scale to 25,000 vessels a year at forward bases
A Hawaii-based startup has just submitted a six-meter 3D-printed boat for consideration by the Pentagon. According to 3D Printing Industry, Voltage Vessels used a CEAD large-format additive manufacturing system to build the rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), which makes it easier to manufacture at forward locations. So, instead of relying on a 6,545-mile logistics supply chain (the distance between Naha Airport in Okinawa and San Diego International Airport), naval forces can just 3D print these boats from digital files as needed.
Voltage is also using another novel breakthrough in the material for its 3D-printed boats. Instead of relying on traditional fiberglass and plastic construction, these boats are printed using recycled PETG plastic combined with chopped basalt fiber. This material has significantly higher tensile strength compared to the HDPro material currently used by CEAD 3D printers for maritime use. More importantly, the basaltic material, which the company calls Eclipse X9, has no electrical conductivity. Although its transparency for specific radio frequencies is still being evaluated, it theoretically has the advantage of reducing its radar cross section (RCS), as well as avoiding interference with the various signals that autonomous naval systems rely on.
The U.S. Navy is actively looking into large-scale additive manufacturing (more popularly known as 3D printing) as a way to streamline production and manufacture components where they’re needed. There are plans to deploy 100 large-format metal 3D printers in bases and other locations across the world, which could help simplify logistics for the U.S. military’s global footprint. However, these are so far limited to components — Voltage Vessels’ proposal scales this up to include boat hulls. The startup also envisions an annual output of 15,000 metric tons. Considering that a single 20-foot (6-meter) RHIB weighs around 1,300 pounds (about 600 kg), that could mean as many as 25,000 hulls annually (although this may vary depending on the design and sizes of the boats being printed.
The basaltic fiber used in the Eclipse X9 is also an interesting solution. Other researchers have also been experimenting with volcanic material, such as this “spray-on” stealth coating designed for use on drones and other small uncrewed vessels. While RCS reduction relies on a combination of geometry and radar-absorbent materials, the diminutive size of these vehicles meant that they could gain an advantage through the use of RF-transparent materials even though their forms aren’t exactly optimized for stealth.
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