Pentagon Turns to Nikon to Ramp Up Tomahawk Production

In a recent post, I argued that solid rocket motors (SRMs) are the first big scaling challenge for 3D printing in a real-world production environment that supports the US military. A new contract for Nikon Advanced Manufacturing (Nikon AM) from the Pentagon — while not directly related to SRMs — may suggest how optimistic US military stakeholders are about 3D printing’s ability to enable domestic SRM production.

Equally, it demonstrates how optimistic the Pentagon is concerning Nikon AM’s ability to accelerate munition deliveries currently challenged by long lead times. The company will be developing and delivering multiple units of its Nikon SLM Solutions NXG-E system, customized with two-meter z-heights. The machines are intended for mid-bodies of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM), a