Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division is piloting a 3D-printed
composite-patch repair that halves F/A-18 Super Hornet composite repair time by
allowing high-performance patches to be applied directly to the airframe. The
method, which passed lab tests and is scheduled for trials on active aircraft
this summer, lets forward bases perform complex repairs without highly
specialized technicians and avoids long delays from sending parts back to home
maintenance depots; 22 naval maintenance sites already have 3D printers. The
push runs alongside the US Marine Corps’ transition to F-35s, with all Super
Hornet squadrons planned to retire by 2030 — a shift that will remove related
maintenance specialties — and, if widely adopted, the technique could speed and
add flexibility to frontline naval aircraft maintenance.
