The work is led by the US Army DEVCOM Aviation and Missile Center and supported by the Manufacturing Technology program, with execution through America Makes.<\/p>\n
It focuses on improving how complex missile structures are designed and produced, particularly for precision strike systems where cost, speed, and consistency have become key constraints.<\/p>\n
At the center of the effort is CF3D, Continuous Composites\u2019 composite 3D printing process that enables fiber-steered designs and automated fabrication of high-performance structures.<\/p>\n The company will evaluate how the technology can be applied to missile components such as nose cones, fins, leading edges, and bulkheads, which traditionally require labor-intensive manufacturing methods.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to lower program risk, improve system capability, and position our customers for confident, scalable production in the future in alignment with Department of Defense priorities,\u201d Continuous Composites CEO\u00a0Steve Starner<\/strong>\u00a0said.<\/p>\n Missile Production Push Across US<\/strong><\/p>\n The Continuous Composites effort aligns with a wider set of US programs aimed at expanding missile production capacity and modernizing manufacturing methods across the defense sector.<\/p>\n In June, RTX committed\u00a0$100 million to expand its Raytheon facility in Rhode Island<\/a>, increasing test capacity for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor radar and scaling production of Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile\u2013Tactical components.<\/p>\n In May, the US Army awarded Leidos a $2.7-billion contract to\u00a0transition hypersonic weapons programs from development to production<\/a>, consolidating the Thermal Protection Shield and Common Hypersonic Glide Body efforts into a single production framework to speed up delivery and stabilize supply chains.<\/p>\n The same month, the Pentagon signed a framework deal with Anduril Industries to\u00a0ramp up production of the Barracuda-500M surface-launched cruise missile<\/a>, targeting at least 3,000 systems for delivery to the army over three years.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fie.undef.edu.ar\/ceptm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CF3D-Technology.jpg\")