FLEETWERX Launches FLEET-X to Test How the Military Can Make, Move and Use Critical Parts in the Field
FLEETWERX Launches FLEET-X to Test How the Military Can Make, Move and Use Critical Parts in the Field
MONTEREY, CA, May 8, 2026 — FLEETWERX, alongside the Naval Postgraduate School’s Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (NPS CAMRE) and industry partners, will run FLEET-X, a live industry-focused operational check at Camp Roberts during the Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) 26-3 to demonstrate how critical parts can be identified, manufactured and delivered in real time.
The effort is part of preparation for RIMPAC 2026, but FLEET-X is designed to put greater focus on the companies, systems and operational workflows that may help military units reduce downtime when critical equipment fails.
JIFX is the Naval Postgraduate School’s field experimentation program, where military teams, engineers and private companies test new technologies in realistic conditions to see what works before it is used at scale.
During FLEET-X, teams will run the process from need to delivery. A part requirement is identified, digital files and system information are prepared, software tools help assign the request to the right manufacturing capability, partners produce the component using advanced manufacturing and the finished part is delivered using unmanned systems across the test range.
The exercise is designed to test the connective tissue between capabilities that are often treated separately: manufacturing, AI-enabled decision support, data capture, tasking, delivery and operational feedback.
“This is about production flexibility, speed and effective system management,” said Ethan Brown, FLEETWERX Program Manager. “When parts fail, they can take larger systems out of service. FLEET X is designed to show how industry partners, software tools and unmanned systems can help reduce part production lead times and move useful capability closer to the point of need.”
FLEETWERX is coordinating the effort across military, academic and industry partners, helping ensure the full process works together as one system rather than a series of disconnected demonstrations.
The exercise will also test how unmanned systems can support delivery, especially in situations where traditional logistics may be slow, limited or unavailable. Teams will plan and execute delivery missions, tracking how quickly parts can move from production to the point of need.
“Making a part is only part of the challenge,” said Chris Curran, CAMRE Program Manager. “FLEET-X gives us a practical way to understand how advanced manufacturing, AI-enabled workflow tools and autonomous delivery systems perform together in field conditions, and what needs to improve before those capabilities are used at larger exercises and in real operations. Using these tools we
can produce quality parts that solve warfighter requirements rapidly until the traditional supply system can be utilized.”
The effort also reflects a broader operational problem facing deployed units: keeping ships, aircraft and other systems in fighting trim during long missions when traditional supply lines may be stretched, delayed or contested. The work has clear relevance for extended deployments, Indo Pacific logistics challenges and recent operational lessons from efforts such as Operation Epic Fury, where faster repair and sustainment at the edge can matter as much as initial deployment speed.
One anticipated example is Re:3D’s work to print drone components for an operational unit, a practical use case that connects distributed manufacturing to current mission needs in environments such as CENTCOM. Other partners will help test how requests are captured, assigned, produced and delivered so the military can better understand what is ready now and what still needs refinement.
The goal is to identify what works, what needs improvement and what must be ready before larger exercises like RIMPAC. The effort will also help industry partners better understand how their technologies fit into real-world military workflows and timelines.
Media from prior efforts, including video from an autonomous underway replenishment demonstration, is available as background on the types of operational problems FLEET-X is designed to explore. Photos, video and additional information from the exercise will be made available to media following the event. A full list of participating companies and the technologies being tested is included in the appendix below.
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About FLEETWERX
FLEETWERX is a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) that connects the Naval Postgraduate School with industry, academia and government to bring new solutions into real-world military settings. By working directly with end users, FLEETWERX helps test, refine and move ideas into use faster.
About NPS CAMRE
The Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education at the Naval Postgraduate School focuses on how manufacturing can support military operations, improving how parts are made, repaired and delivered in the field.
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Appendix: Participating Companies and Technologies
A range of companies are participating in FLEET-X at JIFX 26-3, each playing a specific role in testing how parts can be requested, made, assigned, moved and evaluated in field conditions. Together, they represent the different pieces required to move from an operational need to a finished part at the point of use.
Re:3D is bringing large-scale 3D printing capabilities that can produce durable polymer parts. During the exercise, Re:3D is expected to print drone components for an operational unit if all goes well, providing a concrete example of how distributed manufacturing can support current mission needs. The work may also provide a useful CENTCOM tie-in by showing how parts can be produced closer to the operational unit that needs them.
Fieldmade is focused on metal additive manufacturing in compact, deployable systems. Its role in the exercise is to produce metal components based on incoming taskings and evaluate how well field-ready systems can operate within a broader manufacturing network.
ADDiTEC is contributing hybrid manufacturing technology that combines 3D printing with precision machining. In the field, ADDiTEC will produce and refine metal parts, helping assess whether hybrid systems can meet both speed and quality requirements under real conditions.
CEAD is providing large-format composite printing systems capable of producing oversized components. During FLEET-X, CEAD will test how quickly large parts can be produced and how well that capability fits into a coordinated, distributed production effort.
Snowbird Technologies is supporting the effort with its deployable SAMM-Tech advanced manufacturing platform, a containerized hybrid system designed for point-of-need production. Snowbird is not expected to print during FLEET-X, but the company will receive taskings and support planning tied to future RIMPAC 2026 activities. Its prior RIMPAC 2024 work demonstrated the ability to scan and print a replacement stainless-steel reverse osmosis pump bushing at sea, a practical example of how expeditionary manufacturing can help keep ships operating during extended deployments.
Splash Industries is supporting the logistics side of the exercise with unmanned surface vessels. These platforms will be used to carry manufactured parts across the test range, demonstrating how components can be moved without relying on traditional, crewed transport.
HavocAI is contributing autonomous systems designed for delivery missions. Its platforms will receive taskings, plan routes and execute delivery runs, helping test how unmanned systems can support faster, more flexible logistics.
3YourMind is helping manage how parts are selected and assigned for production. Its AI-enabled decision assist tool supports part assignment by helping direct requests to the appropriate manufacturing partner, improving how the process moves from request to production.
Avathon is providing AI-enabled tools that help ingest information about systems so manufacturing data can be processed and integrated faster. Its role is to give operators better visibility into production status, system information and workflow alignment so partners can keep production and delivery moving together.
DINA, the Defense Innovation Navigation Assistant, is focused on capturing what happens during the exercise. The effort is led by the Inland Empire Tech Bridge and California Baptist University, helping record workflows, identify patterns and show what works, what slows the process down and where improvements are needed.
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