DoD Is Expected to Spend Even More on Additive Manufacturing for Defense

The American Department of Defense (DoD) has been one of the biggest drivers of growth for additive manufacturing adoption for military applications. This has been shown through many different use cases in the American military in particular and it has further been proven by a new report. Titled “Additive Manufacturing in Military and Defense 2024” and coming from Additive Manufacturing Research, the study estimates strong growth for military and defense spending in coming years in the United States.

Authored by Tali Rosman, who previously worked at Stratasys and XEROX and oversaw the first metal 3D printer installed on a U.S. Navy ship, the report seeks to seek to analyze and forecast opportunities for 3D printing in the military and defense sectors. The core of the work sheds light on the increased spending from the DoD on additive manufacturing in defense, both from previous years and in the future. Indeed, while a 2023 version of the report noted $300M in direct DoD spending for the year, in 2024 that has already increased to $800M. This growth is expected to steadily increase, eventually reaching an estimated $2.6B in 2030.

A graph showing the expected growth of the AM defense sector, including a breakdown by technology (photo credits: Additive Manufacturing Research)

The report delved into the reasons behind the expected 166% growth per year in this field. To do so, Rosman looked at the DoD budget with a forecast for spending with leading types of 3D printing. These including powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, metal binder jetting and bound metal deposition. All of which have already been used for applications in the American military. As can be seen in the graph above. It seems that the area with the most expected growth will be in 3D printing services, followed by material, then metal hardware and polymer hardware.

The report also explores reasons behind this growth, providing insights into the transformative role of AM for defense and military applications. This analysis has been down through first-person interviews with the US Navy, US Air Force, Space Force and the US Army, focusing on the different initiatives to incorporate and leverage 3D printing in the United States Military’s operations. A major interest of the US defense sector due to the DoD Additive Manufacturing Strategy that was first released in 2021.

In a press release, AM Research notes that the report has significant implications for defense contractors, technology providers, investors and policymakers. The company especially calls for proactive measures to harness the full potential of AM. This has apparently been further compounded by geopolitics that are becoming ever more tenuous due to escalating global tensions and security challenges.

Increased DoD spending can be attributed to a growing implementation of additive manufacturing for military applications (photo credits: DoD)

The report further covers many of the main players in the sector included, but not limited to the DoD, Astro America, Lincoln Electric, Ursa Major, Airbus, Boeing and Eaton Corporation. An interesting resource for any in additive manufacturing looking to move to the defense sector, as well as those in defense seeking to adopt AM. You can buy the full report or download a free sample HERE.

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