The U.S. Navy is piloting a new maintenance strategy aimed at cutting the time F/A-18 Super Hornets spend grounded for composite damage repairs. The initiative, led by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) working alongside Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, centers on 3D-printed composite patches that can be manufactured and applied directly at forward operating bases rather than requiring parts to be shipped from stateside depots.
Composite materials are notoriously difficult to repair using conventional methods. Damage typically means sending components to specialized repair facilities, a process that can leave aircraft out of service for extended periods and strain fleet readiness—especially for units deployed far from home.
The new approach relies on additive manufacturing equipment already installed at 22 Navy maintenance locations around the world. Once technicians assess damage to a component, they can produce a custom patch on-site designed to bond to the aircraft's surface, skipping the wait for a full replacement part. Navy officials say the method includes established procedures and safety checks, and that ground and lab testing has already confirmed it works. Flight testing on actual aircraft is expected to start this summer.
Rear Admiral Todd Evans, commander of NAWCAD, framed the program as a way to give squadrons more independence and speed up how quickly damaged jets return to service, ultimately supporting better military readiness.
This effort fits into a wider Defense Department push to use 3D printing to solve supply chain challenges, paralleling similar moves by the Army and Marine Corps toward field-based manufacturing. Military planners see these programs as ways to reduce dependence on long, potentially vulnerable supply routes—particularly in regions like the Pacific, where extended logistics chains could become liabilities during a conflict.