Recent U.S. national strategy documents and defense legislation highlight an urgent need to expand the defense industrial base, prioritizing speed, scale, and effective execution. Fiscal Year 2026 defense appropriations provide critical resources to accelerate this effort. Additive manufacturing (AM) aligns closely with these priorities, offering flexible, rapid production methods that can improve response times and strengthen supply chain resilience. Realizing AM’s full potential, however, requires a clear understanding of its strengths, limitations, and the roles it can play in industrial base expansion. Equally important is the need to scale a skilled AM workforce, which remains essential to growing and sustaining the industrial base.
