Pathfinding Innovation for Legacy Munitions

Abstract

Advanced manufacturing encompasses the innovation of improved methods for manufacturing existing products, such as components and parts, as well as the production of new products enabled by advanced technologies. Advanced manufacturing approaches, include robotic technologies, digital engineering, sensing, advanced materials, and 3D printing are reimagining manufacturing. The Pathfinding Innovation for Legacy Munitions Project seeks to understand the landscape of advanced manufacturing approaches and to identify processes that could be applied to legacy munitions to enable surging production of major weapons systems. In this paper, legacy munitions refer to munitions that are currently in production and have been deployed. Currently, many legacy munitions are manufactured using production processes that predate proven commercial approaches. Newer commercial approaches have the potential to improve the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of munitions production.