Development and Integration of PEEMS Technologies for Future Weapons and Armaments

In Multi-domain environments the US Army and its strategic partners operate, there is need for novel and transformative manufacturing technologies, including printed electronics, energetic, materials, and sensors (PEEMS). The Army is being challenged to maintain dominance across all domains as our adversaries have continued to develop and advance their military capabilities that threaten the U.S. DEVCOM is developing manufacturing technologies for weapon components utilizing Advanced Manufacturing (AdvM) capabilities, to include Additive Manufacturing, Flex Hybrid Electronics, AI, Automation, AR/VR etc. Highlighted transitions, applications, and Warfighter solutions will be discussed as well as results from integrated manufacturing demonstrations and testing with stakeholders. Identifying, analyzing, and assessing potential new technologies and tools is advancing the Army capabilities. The Army’s PEEMS Center continues to invest in advanced printing technologies to rapidly design, prototype, and manufacture critical novel printed armaments and weapons components. By advancing printed electronics, energetics, and power sources, size and weight of munition components can be reduced, freeing up valuable internal space for increased lethality payloads, support range, and precision guidance to maximize weapon systems’ capabilities while reducing operations and cost. Collaborations led by US Army DEVCOM and its strategic partners, are developing the ability to fully print munitions on hybrid production lines increasing “Readiness” and moving towards “Modernization.” These efforts demonstrate novel technologies while addressing several DOD and Army Priorities. The technologies and processes are being transitioned to Next Generation Projects enhancing Warfighter capabilities. Improvements to existing and future planned weapons platforms will be realized. This topic will illustrate military utility of novel printed material and devices leveraging off past and current printed electronics, energetics, materials, and sensor (PEEMS) efforts. The goal is to develop capabilities and advance the state-of-the-art in PEEMS technology for armaments and other military applications. Technologies Demonstrators, Applications, Equipment advances, and test results will be discussed.