Army Deploys 3D-Printed Ammo Containers for First Time Since WWII

The First New Ammo Packaging in 80 Years

The U.S. Army took a small but significant step toward modern battlefield logistics on August 26, 2026. At Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center unveiled SixPAC, the first major redesign of small-caliber ammunition packaging since World War II.

SixPAC replaces the old bandoleer system with a pair of lightweight polymer ammunition containers, or PACs, nested inside a single steel outer shell. Each PAC holds rounds in a way that cuts weight and improves water resistance. The Army has already tested the system with 6.8mm rounds and is planning a surge-production path.

Why 3D Printing Is Part of the Plan

The timing matters. The same Army Research Laboratory signed an $11 million agreement with Clemson University and 3D Systems to develop 3D-printed components for ground vehicles, aircraft, and munitions. SixPAC sits squarely in that category. If wartime demand spikes and conventional packaging lines hit capacity, 3D-printed polymer containers could serve as a stopgap.

That is not a hypothetical. The Army's own statements about the SixPAC rollout noted the need for scalable, rapid production. Additive manufacturing is the only process that can scale up without new tooling. A polymer container that goes from digital file to finished part in hours is exactly what a supply-chain crunch demands.

What Comes Next

The move also signals where the defense additive manufacturing market is heading. Projects like this do not stay in the Army forever. The materials, suppliers, and standards developed for military use filter down to commercial and consumer 3D printing within a few years. SixPAC could end up influencing how we all package and ship filament, hardware, and small parts.

The Army's SixPAC rollout is modest in scope but broad in implication. It is a recognition that 3D printing has graduated from prototyping to logistics, and that the next wave of additive manufacturing adoption may not come from consumer printers at all.