SOFX The Crossroads of Special Operations
On average, it would take the Navy around five months to put together even the smallest of submarines. The Optionally Manned Technology Demonstrator (OMTD) is changing all of that. 3D-printing has enabled the Navy to put together a hull in just a few weeks. Releasing the first 3D-printed hull over the summer, the hull was 30 feet long and designed to shuttle SEALs in and out of combat zones. Originally, a sub would cost close to $800,000, but these new printed ones come to a total of $60,000. The OMTD represents a huge step towards ‘on-demand’ manufacturing, and is the Navy’s largest 3D printed asset. Vehicle and supply demand can be met in real-time, allowing operations to adapt to the environment and situations around them. Assets like the OMTD increases operational flexibility and effectiveness, which is a big deal for U.S. special operations forces leading the charge in the Global War on Terror. Prototypes of the OMTD could ‘hit the water’ as soon as 2019.
Source: https://nationalinterest.org
