Over the past years, UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) have grown in importance, effectivity, and range. High value, world-spanning UAS give specific, timely intelligence. At the same time, low-cost drones have defined the Russian-Ukrainian War. Tens of millions of 3D printed components, iterative development, and rapid capability increases have come at a blistering pace. Now, long-range drones have disrupted energy markets, putting global economies on the precipice. The antidote? Interceptor drones, bristling with 3D printed components.

The marriage of Additive Manufacturing and UAS systems, whether in the most expensive or the least expensive systems, is a healthy one. 3D printing is used both to make low-cost drones close to the front lines in austere conditions, and also in world-class facilities to produce complex, weight-saving components for platforms worth tens of millions of dollars. Fuel tanks, munitions, energetics, warheads, sensors, RF components, housings, fuselages, wings, and more have all been produced using additive manufacturing. Large, complex metal components made on the highest-productivity LPBF systems and small, cheap parts made on low-cost desktop systems have both made a difference.

US General Richard Clarke said in 2022,

"First, as we think about this problem, I’ve been in the Army for 38 years, and in my entire time in the Army on battlefields in Iraq, in Afghanistan, Syria, I never had to look up. I never had to look up because the U.S. always maintained air superiority and our forces were protected because we had air cover. But now with everything from quadcopters — they’re very small — up to very large unmanned aerial vehicles, we won’t always have that luxury."

This is the new reality. With drones now being used as geopolitical leverage strategically as well as tactically, this realization is as important as ever. Given the impact UAS systems have had, it's time to really understand the UAS opportunity and threat. With AM, drones can be made close to the point of need and adapted to evolve with requirements and circumstances. Production volumes, models, and designs can be altered to meet and defeat the enemy. It's clear that the combination between AM and UAS is synergistic. Where is this development headed? What is set to happen?

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