Continuous Composites Wins Navy Phase II to Embed Wiring in 3D-Printed Drones

The Contract

The U.S. Navy awarded Continuous Composites a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract to further develop its Continuous Fiber 3D Printing technology for unmanned aerial vehicle structures. The program runs 30 months with a one-year option period to deliver a functional, system-level demonstration. The goal is load-bearing composite components that also carry electrical power, without requiring separate wire harnesses or connectors.

Phase I already demonstrated that conductive elements, including copper wiring and fiber optics, can be co-printed within fiberglass-reinforced composite panels. Mechanical and electrical testing showed minimal impact on structural integrity. Phase II will expand that work to higher-capacity conductive pathways inside sub-scale structures, with emphasis on maintaining mechanical performance while adding functionality.

Why Embedded Conductors Matter for Drones

Traditional UAV wiring is a maintenance problem. Wire harnesses add weight, occupy space, and create failure points. When a drone takes damage, connectors and cables are among the first things to go. Embedding conductors directly into the load-bearing skin of the airframe removes those parts from the equation entirely. Repairs become simpler: damaged panels swap out as single units rather than requiring harness rework.

The modularity argument is practical. In field operations, damaged composite components with embedded power paths can be rapidly replaced without worrying about disrupting the electrical system. That reduces repair complexity, minimizes downtime, and improves overall reliability. The Navy's stated interest is in accelerating deployment of advanced composite-enabled platforms while cutting system complexity.

From Structure to Function

Continuous Composites CEO Steve Starner described the program as a shift from printing structure alone to printing functionality directly into the structure. That distinction matters. Most 3D printing in aerospace today produces passive parts: brackets, ducts, covers. CF3D with embedded conductors turns the part into an active electrical system. The practical effect is fewer discrete components, simpler assembly, and lower weight.

The Phase II effort focuses on coupon-level and sub-scale structure validation. Continuous Composites will work on material formulations and process controls that preserve electrical isolation between embedded pathways while keeping the composite's mechanical properties intact. That isolation requirement is the real engineering challenge: embedding copper wiring in a carbon or fiberglass matrix without creating short circuits or stress concentration points.

Context in the Defense Additive Market

The Navy contract follows a separate multi-year Army ManTech award Continuous Composites received to advance manufacturing approaches for next-generation missile components. The company also filed a patent infringement lawsuit earlier this year after years of licensing discussions. The litigation indicates that CF3D's core continuous-fiber approach is valuable enough for others to imitate, and that Continuous Composites is defending that position aggressively.

Defense additive manufacturing has accelerated across all services. The Pentagon's Project Peculiar document signaled intent to remove bureaucracy around advanced manufacturing. Phase II SBIR awards like this one are the mechanism: funded development that moves a technology from lab demonstration toward operational deployment.

What Comes Next

The 30-month development window means results will not appear in production UAVs immediately. The option period to deliver a system-level demonstration suggests the Navy wants to see a full functional prototype before committing to integration. If the embedded conductor approach proves out at scale, it could influence how future drone airframes are designed from the start. Load-bearing skins that also carry power change the architecture conversation in a meaningful way.

Continuous Composites is based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The company's CF3D technology integrates fiber steering, advanced materials, and automated manufacturing for aerospace, defense, and UAV applications. The Navy Phase II award places it in the center of the defense additive manufacturing pipeline at a moment when the services are actively seeking ways to produce and maintain hardware faster.