3D Printed Guided Missiles are Now a Reality Thanks to Raytheon

[DocM]

http://3dprint.com/81850/3d-printed-guided-missiles/

3D Printed Guided Missiles are Now a Reality Thanks to Raytheon

Raytheon is a company that has been around for over 90 years, providing defense weaponry, missile guidance systems, and more to the United States Military. In fact, they are the largest producer in the world of guided missiles, so it would come as no surprise that they would be the ones to innovate the manufacturing process for these weapons.

3D printing is a technology that has rapidly been adopted into the world of manufacturing. It

[Osiris]

Makes sense from many points of view.

 

Will be interesting to see how this is all handled over the coming decades as the printing tech keeps improving and becomes cheaper, more common.  Could be one of the biggest disruptions to warfare in the future.  Even if printing never 100% allows for a weapon, 80% the way there is a big jump and whilst Schematics to the Patriot aren't likely to ever get around there's plenty of other countries with less security or less concern for who has such schematics.

[DocM]

From a 3D printed M1911 .45 to guided missiles in <2 years.

PROGRESS!!

Next up: 3D printed nukes?

(only half /s)

[blerk]

It would be interesting seeing supply convoys of the future carrying not ammunition and parts but instead bins of raw materials. 

[DocM]

Same goes for ships. With printed missiles, kinetic warheads on rail guns and directed energy weapons their magazines will be far different. Not only storage but manufacturing.