"The ability to additively manufacture an aircraft engine part and gain military airworthiness is a significant step forward in growing the adoption of additive manufacturing in the Air Force,” Nathan Parker, deputy program executive officer at RSO, said.
Gen. Arnold Bunch, head of Air Materiel Command, said that 64 teams are competing in the Advanced Manufacturing Olympics for a total of $1 million in prize winnings.
There is no single answer to the drone threat, pushing the Pentagon toward a broader mix of defenses.
"I've been so passionate about bringing in additive manufacturing, and small batch digital manufacturing, to help on aircraft parts availability," Air Force acquisition head Will Roper says.