Technically, the program is called “On-Demand Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.” It aims to combine the speed and flexibility of printing with the versatility of off-the-shelf parts. Here’s how the Army describes it: Like all branches of the American military, the Army already has drones, and they range from the Predator-sized Gray Eagle to the hand-tossed Raven and Puma drones. The Army has thousands of Ravens on hand: they carry high-quality cameras and are simple to launch, but they also cost up to $300,000 apiece when made to military specifications. A Raven-like drone, built from off-the-shelf parts, can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. If the Army wants to look at some fixed defensive positions a few hills over, and they aren’t too concerned with getting the drone back, printing up a simple body and slapping in some electronics could be a very cost-effective way to do that. And 3D printing isn’t limited to just remaking what’s already been done. Say there’s a warehouse the Army wants to look inside, but the windows are wedged shut. A custom drone with a ram-like head could force open a window and then scout around inside. Single-use ram drones aren’t something one plans on bringing to every battle. Printing it as needed could, as it were, really open up a lot of opportunities for troops on the ground.
