Several rows of 3D printers work simultaneously in a factory. Defense contractor Divergent Technologies recently announced its intention to set up a new factory for Tomahawk missile components next year, using 3D printing. (Shutterstock/Marina Grigorivna)
Could 3D Printing Solve the Pentagon’s Tomahawk Missile Crisis?
Divergent Technologies, a subcontractor for the Tomahawk missile, may be able to dramatically increase output through 3D printing specialized components.
The US military’s Tomahawk cruise missile production issues might soon become a concern of the past.
Starting in 2027, Divergent Technologies will begin using 3D technology to print key specialized components of the Tomahawk cruise missile in a new production facility in Long Beach, California. Once operational, the new facility will produce more than 30,000 missile airframes or 60,000 warhead casings per year.
How 3D Printing Might Help Raytheon Build Tomahawks
Divergent’s output will support Tomahawk manufacturer RTX (Raytheon) as it attempts to increase production of the precision munition as part of a deal with the Department of Defense.
“We have started our initial test unit, so we have our first prototypes. We would aim for production start in the first half of next year. That, again, is a great thing to do in Factory 2,” Divergent CEO Lukas Czinger said during an interview on the sidelines of the Reindustrialize Summit.
“We need all hands on deck, we need as many of these as we can possibly get, and Divergent is good complimentary supply [for Raytheon]. They’re not getting all the volume they need out of their existing solutions,” Czinger added.
The Tomahawk cruise missile is a long-range, precision-guided munition used by Navy warships and submarines for land-attack missions. It can be found on a wide range of warships, including Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, and Ohio-class guided-missile submarines.
This new development of 3D printing could offer a viable solution to persistent production issues plaguing the US military’s supply chain.
Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East exposed the difficulty of sustaining combat operations for prolonged periods of time. In just a few weeks of combat against a non-peer adversary, the US military expended an alarming rate of stand-off and precision strike munitions, including Tomahawk cruise missiles. Indeed, only in the first 72 hours of the campaign, the Navy expended approximately 400 Tomahawks, representing about 10 percent of the service’s active Tomahawk inventory. And after four weeks of combat, the Navy had fired over 850 cruise missiles, nearly 50 more than it fired during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
About the Tomahawk Cruise Missile
- Year Introduced: 1983
- Number Built: Unspecified
- Length: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m) without booster
- Diameter: 20.4 in (0.52 m)
- Launch Weight: 2,900 lbs (1,300 kg)
- Propulsion: Williams International F107-WR-402 turbofan, with solid fuel booster
- Launch Platform: Varies; can be launched from VLS, torpedo tubes, TELs
- Guidance System: Redundant GPS, INS, TERCOM, DSMAC, active radar homing systems
- Range: Depends on variant; typically 900+ nautical miles (1,000 mi, 1,700 km)
- Top Speed: ~570 mph (920 km/h)
- Payload: Depends on variant; typically ~690 lbs (310 kg) warhead
- Cost: A Block V missile costs approximately $3.65 million
The Tomahawk is a complex piece of weaponry with at least seven advanced components, ranging from advanced electronics to guidance systems to specialized heat-resistance protection. The munition’s complexity means that it can take up to two years for the Navy to receive a new Tomahawk. As a result, the historical production rate of the munition has hovered around 90 munitions per year, more than three times less than the number used by the Navy in just 72 hours against Iran.
In addition to the US military, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands operate the advanced munition. Improved production will likely translate into more international sales.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglouis a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operationsand a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a JD from Boston College Law School. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
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