US Navy 3D-Printed Drones Aboard USS Essex: A Factory at Sea

During its transit toward RIMPAC 2026, the USS Essex deployed with something most warships do not carry: a containerized microfactory. Firestorm Labs brought its xCell system aboard, and over the course of the exercise the crew produced more than 1,000 drone components and assembled 12 Squall first-person-view drones while the ship was underway. They also printed repair parts for the ship itself, all through Sea State 5 conditions.

That last detail matters more than it sounds. Most additive manufacturing demonstrations run in calm, controlled environments. Printing underway in moderate seas, then building functional drones from those parts, is a different order of proof of concept.

The strategic shift

Modern military theory has been converging on one idea for several years now: mass beats sophistication when individual platforms can be produced cheaply and replaced quickly. The Pentagon formalized this with the 2023 Replicator initiative, which set out to rapidly field large numbers of affordable autonomous systems. LCCM, or Low-Cost Containerized Munitions, is the procurement expression of that same thinking. In May 2026, the DoD announced framework agreements with four defense contractors to produce over 10,000 low-cost containerized missiles over three years.

The FY2027 budget request proposes over $130 billion for distributed mass programs. That spending reflects a deliberate choice: the United States is betting that production volume and adaptability matter more than fielding a small number of exquisite, expensive platforms.

Why containerized manufacturing changes the logistics picture

A warship deploying without an organic manufacturing capability must carry every spare part it might need. That means trade-offs: more spares, less fuel, fewer munitions. When something breaks or a new requirement emerges, the ship calls for a resupply. That takes time, and time is a vulnerability.

A containerized 3D production line changes the calculation. If a drone component needs redesign, or if battle damage creates an urgent parts requirement, the time from identifying the problem to producing the solution compresses from days or weeks to hours. The factory is no longer three thousand miles away. It is on the flight deck.

The broader race

Japan approved mass production of 3D-printed interceptor drones in late August. The US Army wants more expeditionary 3D printers for aviation maintenance. Continuous Composites is developing continuous-fiber 3D printing for embedded electrical pathways in military drones. Every major military power is exploring the same intersection of additive manufacturing and unmanned systems.

The RIMPAC 2026 test did not invent deployable 3D printing. It demonstrated that the concept is mature enough to operate in a real-world naval environment. The Essex left San Diego with the ability to build its own drones at sea. That is the baseline now.