Neil Calder, director of Engineered Capabilities and a seasoned aerospace industry bellwether, has been closely monitoring the significant advancements in the aerospace industry throughout 2025. His insights reveal a transformative year for additive manufacturing (AM) in defence production, marking a pivotal shift in how military forces approach equipment support and supply chain resilience.
The UK military has increasingly embraced AM across all branches of service, with the Army, Navy, and Air Force showcasing expedient manufacturing solutions at major trade events like TCT and the Advanced Engineering show. Theatre-level military organisations are now comfortable experimenting with various AM processes, including cold spray deposition and laser powder bed fusion. This surge in activity has been a long time coming, characterised by the familiar military rhythm of “hurry-up-and-hang-around.”
Calder recalls the mid-2000s as the period when the defence technology establishment first took a strategic interest in AM. However, the technology’s value chains were not robust enough to support large-scale adoption at that time. “I first saw definite interest by the defence technology establishment in the mid-2000s where AM was highlighted strategically as one of a small number of key technologies to watch, but value chains just weren’t strong enough then, with insufficient process stability and maturity to bear the weight at that time,” he noted.
A notable development that caught Calder’s attention was the Tornado 2 Tempest project, which repurposed old RAF Tornado parts into metallic powder. Lancashire-based 3D printing company Additive Manufacturing Solutions then transformed this powder into components for the Orpheus small engine concept. This initiative aimed to reduce reliance on extended international supply chains for critical materials, thereby enhancing supply chain resilience—a subtle yet effective way to bolster national defence infrastructure.
In March, the UK Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy was unveiled, uniting government agencies, the defence sector, and advanced manufacturing, with a specific focus on AM. The strategy aims to accelerate the adoption of AM within the defence supply chain through incentivisation and structured partnerships. “The UK Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy rolled out in March and unites the interests of government agencies, the defence sector, advanced manufacturing and most specifically AM. This very clearly aims at accelerating the adoption of AM within the defence supply chain through incentivisation and structured partnering,” Calder explained.
The strategy emphasises the production of spare or replacement parts for military equipment in theatres of operation, highlighting the expedience of AM. It also aims to create shorter, smarter supply chains for detail parts, making them more responsive, resilient, and less susceptible to obsolescence.
Historically, AM has seen sporadic breakthroughs, with the trade press frequently featuring examples of single parts produced through innovative processes. The US Army, for instance, introduced the concept of a mobile parts hospital as early as the 2000s, which later became part of their maintenance operations in the Middle East. However, these advancements did not initially permeate into large-scale manufacturing.
Calder underscores the importance of rapid production and support of weapons and systems in gaining battlefield superiority. The ongoing military actions at the edge of Europe exemplify this, with the rapid deployment of combat drones showcasing the strategic advantage of agile manufacturing. “To put large numbers of rapidly developed combat drones into the air provides a clear demonstration of how battlefield superiority is gained through the ability to produce and support weapons and systems quickly, at rate and with agility,” he stated.
While specific industrial groups of capability are beginning to form around this new demand, they remain too embryonic or commercially confidential to detail. The focus is initially on the expedient manufacture of spare parts rather than series manufacturing. Calder sees this as a coming of age for the advanced manufacturing sector, with all elements aligning to drive significant progress.
As the defence industry continues to evolve, Calder’s insights highlight the critical role of additive manufacturing in shaping the future of military technology and strategy.