Marines 3D Print a 7-Meter Raiding Craft in Okinawa, Then Put It to Sea

A US Marine Corps unit in Okinawa built and launched a 7-meter raiding craft using only a CNC router, a large-format polymer 3D printer, and a spray foam system. The test took place at White Beach Naval Facility on June 29, during Exercise Valiant Shield 26. Both manned and unmanned runs proved the vessel works.

Manufacturing at the Point of Need

The project falls under the Manufacturing Attritable Systems at Scale program, or MASS. Marines from Intermediate Repair Company, 3rd Maintenance Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group worked with engineers from Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock. Their goal was simple: produce a usable craft in theater instead of waiting for one to ship across the Pacific.

The hull is made from modular foam sections printed and routed on site. A previous 5-meter prototype required about 16 working hours and roughly $11,000 in materials. With a 12-person team, the Marines believe a 5-meter platform could be produced every four hours and a 7-meter platform every six hours once the process is fully scaled.

After fabrication, the craft received a protective polyurea coating. It was fitted with a 300-horsepower Mercury outboard and an autonomous control system from Fort Robotics. On test day, the vessel ran both manned and unmanned courses, including autonomous waypoint navigation.

Print on the Move

The same initiative tested another capability called Print on the Move. Marines loaded a commercial polymer 3D printer onto tactical vehicles and watercraft to see if it could keep producing parts while rolling or bouncing on the water. One printer kept fabricating a component during the transit to White Beach and even while the raiding craft was underway.

Dr. Cindy Waters, senior science and technology manager with Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, put it plainly: the exercise was about training Marines to operate the printers, not just observing from the sidelines.

Beyond the Boat

RAMFORCE covered more than hulls. Marines trained on nScrypt's nRugged system, a ruggedized platform that diagnoses faults on circuit cards and repairs damaged electrical pathways in the field without replacing entire assemblies. Another team practiced cold spray repair, accelerating powdered aluminum and nickel onto worn metal surfaces without melting the base material. The new layer is machined back to spec, extending part life without waiting for a supply shipment.

The equipment and partnerships from the exercise remained with Intermediate Repair Company after Valiant Shield ended. The unit continues refining these capabilities, and senior leaders from III Marine Expeditionary Force and 3rd MLG observed the final demonstration.