USS Theodore Roosevelt Tests 3D-Printed Metal Parts at Sea During RIMPAC

A Carrier Gets a Floating Machine Shop

The U.S. Navy took a concrete step toward on-demand manufacturing at sea last month. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) deployed a containerized ADDiTEC HYBRiD-X hybrid-metal 3D printer during the Rim of the Pacific exercise, or RIMPAC 2026. The system ran while the ship was underway, marking the first time an active U.S. warship carried a platform capable of both fabricating new metal parts and repairing damaged ones at sea.

Traditional repairs require spare parts flown in from port or shipped alongside the carrier strike group. That works fine until a non-standard component fails in the middle of the Pacific. The HYBRiD-X system changes the math: sailors can diagnose a broken fitting, pull up a digital model, and print a replacement in metal without leaving the carrier.

How the System Works

ADDiTEC's HYBRiD-X combines directed energy deposition with machining capabilities. It builds metal parts layer by layer from digital designs, then machines them to final tolerances. The Navy tested the system in shore-based environments and on smaller expeditionary units before loading it onto the Roosevelt.

U.S. Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Scott Barber put it plainly: "The entire idea is to be able to cut down lead time by a significant amount. This allows us to maintain capabilities and operational readiness."

The project is led by the Naval Postgraduate School's Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education, alongside FLEETWERX and the Marine Innovation Unit. Marines from the MIU helped integrate the system, bringing private-sector additive manufacturing expertise to shipboard operations.

Why It Matters

This is not about replacing the entire supply chain overnight. It is about giving deployed units a fallback when the supply chain breaks. An aircraft carrier operating far from home port cannot wait weeks for a replacement bracket or coupling. A 3D metal printer shrinks that wait to hours.

The test also serves as a real-world stress check. The Roosevelt transited to RIMPAC in rough seas, giving the system a shake-down in conditions that would never occur in a lab. If the printer survived that transit, it can probably survive most operational deployments.

The Navy has already deployed containerized polymer printers on ships. Adding metal capability closes the gap for the vast majority of shipboard components that cannot be printed in plastic. The next question is whether the fleet will fund this capability across more surface combatants or keep it confined to experimental units.