The U.S. Navy has been testing the use of 3D printers on its ships to produce custom drones outfitted for specialized missions.

The project, being carried out by researchers at the Naval Postgraduate School, is investigating whether modern communications and fabrication technology can be combined to give sailors a new tool for whatever mission they are deployed on.

Holding a quadcopter drone in his hands, Alan Jaeger, a faculty research associate at the school, said it was designed by engineers on shore based on requirements of the sailors at sea. The drone was printed on board the USS Essex last December, he said.

The 3D design file was emailed to the ship over a satellite link, and sailors loaded it into the printer. They printed the parts and then followed instructions for assembly, marrying the plastic parts with electronics that were already on board. Those parts included the motors, radio, controller and a GPS unit.

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