Team AGA developed a point-of-need manufacturing system housed in a 20-foot shipping container at Moffett Field to build certified Group 1 and 2 Unmanned Aerial Systems munitions in under four hours. Driven by 102 interviews with special operations forces, labs, and industry partners, the project addresses a gap where traditional warhead supply chains take 6 to 18 months and existing Electronic Safe and Arm Devices cost between $400 and $20,000.
The blended model integrates Design-for-Manufacture principles with additive manufacturing and commercial printed circuit boards to achieve a bill of materials under $100 per unit. Operating through a platform-agnostic design, the container eliminates reliance on centralized supply chains for front-line units. Selected for Defense Innovation Unit Commercialization Acceleration, the team plans to submit a Small Business Innovation Research Phase I proposal and complete demonstrations with the 131st Rescue Squadron.
Decentralised additive manufacturing containers alter the logistical calculus of front-line drone operations by bypassing multi-month procurement cycles. By integrating commercial printed circuit boards into the fuzing assembly, the system avoids the single-source bottlenecks associated with legacy munitions production. This capability relies on established rapid prototyping frameworks tested through institutions like the Combat Capabilities Development Command and the Defense Innovation Unit. Consequently, tactical units can maintain high-tempo strike operations without waiting for conventional logistics pipelines to replenish specialized ordnance.
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