US Navy Awards Aware Defense a 5-Year 3D Scanned Hearing Protection Contract

The US Navy has named Aware Defense as its exclusive supplier for custom-fit hearing protection under a new five-year Program of Record contract. The deal, awarded to the Naval Air Systems Command Aircrew Systems Program Office, covers digital ear scanning, additive manufacturing, and delivery of 42,000 custom-fit Communications Earplugs and hearing protection units starting August 1, 2026.

How the eFit scanner works

Aware Defense uses its proprietary eFit scanner, a non-contact optical 3D scanner that captures the ear canal geometry using radial illumination. The company claims it is the only scanner capable of reaching past the second bend of the ear canal with less than 90-micron accuracy. A scan takes about 90 seconds, and the resulting digital file drives the additive manufacturing of a custom-fit device.

Under the initial phase of the program, Aware Defense delivered 6,373 custom-fit devices from September 2025 to July 2026, working alongside NAVAIR audiologists and Aeromedical Safety Officers at sites across the country. The new contract scales that effort to 42,000 units across Naval Air Stations in the continental US and overseas.

Why additive manufacturing matters here

Each aviator's ear canal has a slightly different shape. Traditional silicone molding methods compress the canal and can produce a poor fit. By 3D scanning the ear in its natural state and then printing the hearing protection directly from that scan, Aware Defense produces a device that matches the wearer's anatomy more accurately. A better fit means better noise attenuation and higher compliance, which matters in aviation environments where impulse noise from aircraft and weapons fire is constant.

The contract covers both Communications Earplugs, which preserve situational awareness and speech intelligibility, and dedicated hearing protection. The ability to manufacture both from a single digital scan streamlines the logistics chain for fleet maintenance teams.

What this means for defense additive manufacturing

The award is a Program of Record, meaning it is a standing requirement, not a one-off procurement. That signals the Navy is treating individually fitted hearing protection as a permanent part of its aviation safety infrastructure. It also validates the idea that small-batch, on-demand additive manufacturing has a place in defense supply chains, particularly where personalization is a performance requirement rather than a luxury.