This was the first maritime deployment of the Firestorm Labs xCell containerized manufacturing platform.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works .
Big maritime milestone: xCell just proved expeditionary manufacturing works in real conditions.Firestorm's xCell platform printed 1,000+ parts, including 12 Squall FPV drones, en route to RIMPAC in Hawaii, as part of @NPS_Monterey CAMRE's distributed advanced manufacturing… pic.twitter.com/2jZEi3m4TI August 5, 2026
In Firestorm’s words, this additive manufacturing milestone using the xCell platform “just proved expeditionary manufacturing works in real conditions.” The 3D printers on board produced a plethora of useful things during the journey, on demand.
xCell’s containerized production line takes up just two expandable 20-foot ISO containers, or a single 40-foot equivalent. Inside are industrial HP Multi Jet Fusion polymer printers alongside semi-automated assembly stations.
Our headlining pick from the range of products that were manufactured at sea was the twelve quadcopter drones. These were Squall FPV drones , one of Firestorm Labs’ key products. The NDAA-compliant Squall is designed for U.S. forces to “Print. Build. Fly. Dominate.”
Squall has a range of up to 20 miles, a flight time of up to 42 minutes, a top speed of 80 mph, and can carry a 5.5-pound payload. These same drones were flown as adversary aircraft in a counter-UAS exercise when the USS Essex arrived at RIMPAC.
US Navy is flight-testing 3D printed fighter jet parts that cut repair times in half
Pentagon eyes 3D-printed military boats made from volcanic fiber
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/flight-ready-drones-3d-printed-and-built-on-aircraft-carrier-during-us-navy-exercise-a-containerized-factory-on-uss-essex-functioned-despite-rough-seas-and-12-foot-waves#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
- AI Leaders Propose SAFE Guidelines for Cybersecurity Transparency
- Ocypus Sigma L36 Pro Review: How is this LCD AIO so cheap?
- Class Is in Session: GeForce NOW Levels Up Linux, Chromebooks and More
- Plaintiff busted trying to use AI prompt injection to win court case, hides text instruction in filing — demands AI model reviewing the text should side with hi
- GeForce NOW Shakes Up August With 26 New Games
Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.