US Navy tests distributed 3D manufacturing: Stratasys prints spare parts at Trident Warrior 25

On November 6, 2025, Stratasys (Nasdaq: SSYS) demonstrated during the fleet exercise Trident Warrior 25 how additive manufacturing supports the operational readiness of naval units at sea and at forward locations. Together with FLEETWERX and the CAMRE consortium of the Naval Postgraduate School, the company provided the Joint Advanced Manufacturing Cell (JAMC) with field-ready 3D printing systems as well as reach-back production via Stratasys Direct. The JAMC demonstration connected distributed manufacturing resources across more than 8,000 miles and is considered the largest exercise of its kind to date in the U.S. Department of Defense.

In practice, units were able to produce parts directly in the theater or, for more complex items or higher volumes, fall back on on-demand manufacturing at Stratasys Direct. Seven sites used polymer 3D printers, and according to the Navy the produced components met the relevant military specifications. Applications included new parts, replacements for damaged components, and rapid prototypes. Lightweight, corrosion-resistant polymer parts were in especially high demand, relieving conventional supply chains and reducing downtime.

“Trident Warrior 25 demonstrated the value of a multi-echelon polymer advanced manufacturing network,” said Morgan Bower, Program Manager, FLEETWERX. “By pairing field-ready solutions in forward-deployed environments with cutting-edge manufacturing expertise, the team cut lead times for critical components and boosted mission resilience.”

“Our collaboration with Stratasys and FLEETWERX during Trident Warrior highlights how academia, industry, and the military can work together to validate and accelerate new technologies,” said Chris C. Curran, Program Manager, CAMRE. “These efforts are crucial to building resilient, distributed manufacturing ecosystems for the fleet.”

In addition to technology and process chains, Trident Warrior 25 addressed operator qualification. Through CAMRE training, Marines gain hands-on experience with polymer AM and can apply solutions directly at the point of need.

“We’re focused on integrating advanced manufacturing into logistics and maintenance operations to enhance readiness and resilience,” said Lieutenant Colonel, Michael D. Radigan, U.S. Marine Corps., Marine Innovation Unit. “Exercises like Trident Warrior demonstrate how distributed manufacturing will add resilience to supply chains and deliver increased readiness and lethality to combatant commanders.”

“Trident Warrior 25 showed that combining forward-deployed 3D printing with reach-back production provides fast, reliable, and scalable solutions,” said Foster Ferguson, Vice President, Industrial Business, Stratasys. “Supporting both in-theater printing and Stratasys Direct on-demand production helped reduce downtime and maintain readiness, demonstrating practical, scalable solutions across thousands of miles.”