Navy cuts red tape to speed 3D printing, boost submarine lethality

The U.S. Navy has approved a new set of technical requirements to accelerate the use of metallic 3D printing across the submarine enterprise, aiming to ease industrial bottlenecks and speed construction, maintenance, and repair, the service announced Aug. 21. The rules, released Aug. 11, are intended to clear administrative and engineering hurdles that have slowed the wider adoption of additive manufacturing.

“This is exactly the type of barrier we must remove if we are going to unlock 21st century technology to get our submarine programs on plan and ahead of the threat,” said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, Director, Submarine Programs. “Additive manufacturing gives us a tool to get after supply chain constraints and part obsolescence by reducing the time it takes to get critical capability to our warfighters. This directive hands our engineers, shipbuilders, and suppliers authority to execute at scale.”

At the center of the change is Project Peculiar Document (PPD) 802-8436658, which lays out a repeatable pathway to replace traditional cast and wrought parts with 3D-printed metallic components. Previously, each substitution typically triggered lengthy, part-by-part engineering assessments, drawing updates, and first-article testing. The new approach is designed to streamline approvals and speed qualified parts to the fleet.

The Navy said additively manufactured metal parts are already operating in deep-sea conditions aboard USS Washington and USS Nevada, and the updated framework is intended to expand their use across more systems and platforms. The service emphasized that high-consequence applications—including Level I material control and SUBSAFE systems—will continue to meet existing Navy quality requirements, with added tracking and non-destructive inspections.

“Moving faster does not mean accepting less,” Gaucher emphasized. “As we scale our advanced manufacturing capabilities, we will relentlessly enforce the safety and quality standards our crews rely on. Our objective is clear: embrace advanced manufacturing to solve hard problems, update or removal of legacy processes, and deliver quality submarines safely.”

The Submarine Industrial Base Program Office’s Advanced Manufacturing team developed the requirements with Navy stakeholders, shipbuilders, and suppliers to boost industrial throughput, strengthen the supply chain, and maximize fleet availability. The standards are authorized for immediate use across submarine design, construction, overhaul, and repair.

The Navy characterized additive manufacturing as a key enabler of its “1+2” production goal—building one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines annually while sustaining the current fleet—by expanding industrial capacity and reducing production chokepoints.

PPD 802-8436658 and related technical resources are available through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Quick Search Portal and the Navy Digital Sea Resource Portal.