US Navy Ship 3D Prints Drones and Parts at Sea for the First Time

A Navy Ship Just 3D Printed Drones at Sea

The USS Essex spent two weeks sailing from San Diego to Hawaii for RIMPAC 2026. The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship carried more than troops and helicopters. It also carried a containerized 3D printing microfactory from Firestorm Labs.

By the time the ship reached Hawaii, the crew had produced more than 1,000 parts and assembled 12 fully functional Squall first-person-view drones. Waves reached 12 feet during the trial. The printing never stopped.

Firestorm Labs calls the system xCell. It is essentially a factory-in-a-box designed for expeditionary warfare. Instead of waiting days or weeks for a resupply helicopter to deliver a replacement part, the crew prints it on deck.

What the xCell Actually Produced

The drone parts were only part of the output. The team also printed mechanical test components to validate the printer itself and fabricated repair parts the ship's crew needed for existing equipment. The drones were later flown as adversary aircraft during a counter-drone exercise at RIMPAC.

That last detail matters. The printed drones were not prototypes sitting on a shelf. They were put through operational use immediately after assembly.

Why This Matters for Defense Manufacturing

The Navy has been talking about distributed manufacturing for years. This demonstration puts concrete numbers behind the concept. Eliminating the need to fly or ship parts across contested waters cuts fuel costs, aircraft hours, and personnel requirements.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle announced the containerized capability campaign plan in March 2026. The idea is that transportable containers holding drones, weapons, or other capabilities can be deployed anywhere in the world. In May, the Pentagon signed framework agreements for more than 10,000 containerized missiles beginning in 2027.

The xCell demonstration shows the same logic applied to manufacturing itself. A printer that fits in a shipping container can follow the fleet instead of waiting for the fleet to come home.

The Real Shift Is Speed

Repairs that once meant waiting on a resupply run now happen in hours, on station. That is the practical benefit. But the strategic benefit is different. A navy that can print its own spare parts at sea is less dependent on a fragile global supply chain.

This test happened during a two-week exercise in the Pacific. The next step is proving the system can keep running through a real deployment lasting months, not just a transit to Hawaii.