Continuous Composites Wins Navy Contract to 3D Print Multifunctional UAV Structures

From Structure to Function

Continuous Composites has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the U.S. Navy to advance its CF3D technology for multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicle structures. The program aims to embed conductive pathways, including power and signal lines, directly inside 3D printed composite parts rather than bolting them on afterward.

The work builds on a successful Phase I, where the company demonstrated it could co-print copper wiring and fiber optics inside fiberglass-reinforced composite panels without compromising structural integrity. Mechanical and electrical testing showed minimal impact on strength, giving the Navy reason to push toward load-bearing applications in Phase II.

How CF3D Works

Continuous Composites' CF3D Enterprise platform combines a six-axis robotic arm with a proprietary end effector. The system deposits continuous dry carbon or glass fiber while simultaneously impregnating it with a snap-curing thermoset resin in a single pass. That approach allows precise fiber steering around complex load-bearing geometries instead of laying flat plies as conventional composite manufacturing does.

CF3D Studio software converts digital designs into fiber-aware toolpaths with built-in finite element analysis for structural validation. The platform controls fiber tension, placement, and cure in real time as the part prints. That level of control is what makes embedding conductors feasible: the resin system and fiber architecture can be tailored to keep electrically isolated pathways from degrading the surrounding structure's mechanical performance.

Why Embedded Wiring Matters for UAVs

Separate wire harnesses are a recurring failure point on unmanned platforms. Removing them and printing the electrical paths directly into the part reduces weight, cuts down on connector failures, and speeds up repair in the field. Damaged sections can be replaced faster without worrying about disconnecting a separate harness. For UAVs operating without depot-level maintenance support, those gains translate directly into mission uptime.

Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites, framed the program as a shift in what additive manufacturing delivers. Printing structure alone is now standard. Printing functionality directly into that structure, he said, enables a new class of multifunctional UAV systems suited to real operational environments.

A Pattern Across the Services

The Navy award follows a $1.9 million Air Force contract to refine simulation tools for anisotropic CF3D structures and a multi-year Army ManTech effort on next-generation missile components. Across all three, the underlying goal is the same: produce composites that carry stress and also carry signal or power.

The Phase II program runs 30 months, covering materials development, process validation, and conductor integration at the coupon and sub-scale level. A one-year option period follows for a full system-level functional demonstration.