US Navy Will Accept 3D Printed Parts Inside Submarines

Navy Changes Course on Submarine Additive Manufacturing

The US Navy has officially opened the door to 3D printed parts inside its submarines. Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, the Navy's director of submarine programs, told Janes on August 10 that the service is moving beyond approving individual parts to approving entire material-process combinations.

"You just have to verify that part is manufactured using the approved print process and material, then if you 3D print it, we can accept it," Gaucher said.

This is a significant shift. The Navy has used additive manufacturing on surface ships for some time, but submarines have been off limits due to strict safety requirements. Submarine Safety standards and Level I parts will still face extra tracking and review, but the underlying policy is now clear: AM is acceptable for submarine use.

The Navy also needs to update its business accounting systems so commands can actually purchase AM parts. Without that change, approval alone does not get parts into the supply chain.

Gaucher acknowledged that measuring the time savings from AM remains a challenge, but the policy change should accelerate maintenance and repair work across the submarine fleet.