Project Peculiar Document 802-8436658 establishes a standard process for replacing legacy cast and wrought components with 3D-printed alternatives. Such substitutions previously required separate engineering assessments, drawing revisions and first-article testing for each part.
“This is exactly the type of barrier we must remove if we are going to unlock 21st century technology to get our submarine programs on plan and ahead of the threat,” said Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher, director of Submarine Programs. “Additive manufacturing gives us a tool to get after supply chain constraints and part obsolescence by reducing the time it takes to get critical capability to our warfighters.”
“This directive hands our engineers, shipbuilders, and suppliers authority to execute at scale,” Gaucher said. The requirements are authorized for immediate use across the submarine enterprise.
For shipbuilders and maintenance facilities, the framework provides an alternative source for long-lead components and parts affected by supplier closures. It is also designed to address obsolescence before shortages disrupt construction schedules or fleet readiness.
Metal components produced through additive manufacturing are already operating aboard USS Washington and USS Nevada in deep-sea conditions. The Navy said their performance provided an operational basis for extending the technology to more areas of submarine construction and sustainment.
The streamlined process does not remove existing safety or quality controls for high-consequence applications. Level I material control and SUBSAFE components will remain subject to Navy requirements, enhanced tracking and non-destructive inspection.
“Moving faster does not mean accepting less,” Gaucher emphasized. “As we scale our advanced manufacturing capabilities, we will relentlessly enforce the safety and quality standards our crews rely on.”
The Submarine Industrial Base Program Office’s Advanced Manufacturing team developed the requirements with Navy organisations, shipbuilders and suppliers. The office is working to expand advanced manufacturing, strengthen supply chains and improve fleet availability.
The Navy is seeking to build one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines each year while maintaining the existing fleet under its “1+2” requirement. Wider use of additive manufacturing is intended to support that target by increasing production capacity and reducing component-related bottlenecks.
