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

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.