Army Unveils 3D-Printed Ammo Container and Plans for Surge Production

SixPAC Replaces Steel With Polymer

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal unveiled SixPAC in late August after roughly a decade of development. The system replaces the old wire-bound steel M2A2 ammunition can with a polymer rectangular container that weighs around 1.3 kg, roughly half as much as the metal cans it replaces. Two polymer packs fit inside a conventional outer package, each holding 6.8mm rounds for the Next Generation Squad Weapon.

Steel can supply has contracted to two domestic makers, and for a period there was only one. Each can requires a dedicated facility of presses, dies, and welding equipment. Polymer packs, by contrast, could be produced by more than 800 U.S.-based injection molders. Officials plan to extend the format to legacy calibers, including 5.56 and .50 caliber, though 7.62mm rounds ship in a smaller case and need further engineering.

Field Testing and What Comes Next

Soldiers tested SixPAC throughout 2024 and 2025 at Fort Benning, Fort Campbell, Fort Drum, and an ammunition supply point in Germany. Feedback has been largely positive, according to Picatinny officials. The design continues to be refined, including evaluation of a patent-pending polymer rectangular container variant.

Several SixPAC configurations still need operational environment testing, including thermal cycling from 71 to -54 degrees Celsius and drop tests from vehicles and ships. Ed Lucas, design lead for the polymer ammunition container, said the team is simulating everything from tactical vehicle throws to ship drops.

3D Printing as a Surge Stopgap

The bigger story is what comes after qualification. Jason Runell, senior scientific technical manager for packaging at Picatinny, said the first line of inquiry is surge capacity. If ammunition packaging manufacturers cannot keep up with demand, 3D printed containers could serve as a stopgap solution.

The Army already has momentum behind additive manufacturing for other applications. Stratasys Direct was recently selected for the Department of War's JAMA IV Pilot Parts Program, and DoW additive manufacturing funding reached 3.3 billion dollars in fiscal year 2026. Clemson University and 3D Systems also have an 11 million dollar agreement with the Army Research Laboratory to develop 3D printed components for ground vehicles, aircraft, and munitions.

SixPAC itself is still in the prototype phase, but the packaging push is part of a broader military shift away from legacy manufacturing and toward systems that can be produced faster and from a wider industrial base. If additive manufacturing delivers on that promise for munitions packaging, it would mark one of the clearest defense use cases yet for production-scale 3D printing.