The U.S. Department of Defense’s $1 trillion FY 2026 budget request allocates $3.3 billion to projects involving additive manufacturing, an 83% increase from the $1.8 billion approved in FY 2025.
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Additive manufacturing plays a central role in the Pentagon’s FY 2026 agenda, as the U.S. military seeks to expand weapons stockpiles, accelerate procurement, and localize supply chains. The budget request, submitted to Congress in May, includes 16 distinct projects and programs involving 3D printing.
Data from the official Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) Programs (R-1) filing and Defense-Wide RDT&E Justification Documents indicate a combined funding request of $3,298,840,000 ($3.3 billion) across these efforts.
This figure includes all line items that reference “additive manufacturing” or “3D printing” in their FY 2026 plans. Where additive manufacturing appears as a component of a larger program, funding estimates reflect the specific sub-projects tied to AM, where possible.
FY 2026 programs that include Additive Manufacturing
(USD$ in Millions)
| Project/Program | FY 2025 Total | FY 2026 Total | Percentage Change |
| DLA Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) | 100.366 | 50.610 | -49.6% |
| DARPA Additive Manufacturing of MicrosystEms (AMEE) | 20.000 | 14.636 | -26.8% |
| DARPA Enabling Production Studies and Concepts | 14.566 | 24.437 | +67.8 |
| MDA Advanced Research | 46.854 | 42.093 | -10.2% |
| MDA Manufacturing and Producibility Program | 3.156 | 1.771 | -43.9% |
| CBDP All-Hazards and Respiratory Protection | 0.716 | 1.480 | +106.7% |
| DTRA RG: Counter WMD Technologies and Capabilities Development (0602718BR) | 33.193 | 27.182 | -18.1% |
| DTRA RG: Counter WMD Technologies and Capabilities Development(0603160BR) | 246.304 | 233.668 | -5.1% |
| OSD Lincoln Laboratory Research Program | 4.370 | 3.479 | -20.4% |
| OSD Foreign Comparative Testing | 30.007 | 27.958 | -6.8% |
| OSD Additive Manufacturing Innovation | 41.900 | 43.731 | +4.4% |
| OSD Materials Innovation | 9.064 | 10.512 | +16.0% |
| OSD Defense Innovation Acceleration (DIA) | 165.798 | 211.027 | +27.3% |
| OSD Nuclear Survivability Research & Development | 2.913 | 2.998 | +2.9% |
| OSD Rapid Prototyping Program (RPP) | 69.471 | 274.892 | +295.7% |
| OSD Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Support | 1,013.920 | 2,328.370 | +129.6% |
| Total | $1,802.598 | $3,298.844 | +83.0% |
The total budget request for projects solely focused on additive manufacturing development (DARPA Additive Manufacturing of MicrosystEms (AMEE) and OSD Additive Manufacturing Innovation) is $58.4 million, down 5.7% Y/Y from $61.9 million in FY 2025.
Alexander Steeb, Senior Operations Director at America Makes, described the $3.3 billion figure as a clear signal that the U.S. armed forces are “doubling down on additive” and are under orders to integrate the technology.
In a recent memo to senior Pentagon leadership, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the U.S. Army to “extend advanced manufacturing, including 3D printing and additive manufacturing, to operational units by 2026.”
3D printing initiatives in the DoD’s FY 2026 budget
The DoD’s proposed $848.3 billion base budget for 2026 was delayed by approximately 4.5 months and falls just below the $849.8 billion sought for FY 2025.
However, the Trump administration also instigated a $150 billion national security reconciliation bill. This formed part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which was passed by Congress on July 4, 2025. Of that amount, the DoD is expected to receive $113.3 billion in FY 2026, bringing its defense request to $961.6 billion.
When combined with $50.3 billion in discretionary and reconciliation funds for “Other Defense” programs (non-DoD), the total national defense budget request reaches $1.01 trillion, according to the DoD’s FY 2026 Budget Briefing document.
Overall, the DoD is seeking $142.0 billion for RDT&E, which funds the creation and improvement of military technologies. This figure could grow to $179.1 billion with the addition of $37.1 billion via the congressional budget reconciliation legislation. This is a 26.7% increase Y/Y from the $141.4 billion authorized in FY 2025.
Two projects in the DoD’s FY 2026 budget request focus explicitly on additive manufacturing. The first is Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Additive Manufacturing of Microsystems (AMEE) initiative. This seeks to create an AM process capable of simultaneously 3D printing high-resolution conductors and insulators.
The DoD has requested $14.6 million for AMEE in FY 2026, a 5.4% decline from $20 million in FY 2025. Targets for 2026 include finalizing the additive manufacturing synthesis technique and delivering a finalized commercialization plan.
The second additive manufacturing-focused DoD initiative is the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation project. It forms part of the broader Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII) program, which backs nine DoD-led institutes across advanced manufacturing sectors.
America Makes is spearheading the Pentagon’s additive manufacturing innovation efforts under the OSD. The institute is set to receive $43.7 million in the FY 2026 budget request, a 4.4% increase from the $41.9 million allocated in 2025.
Alexander Steeb told 3D Printing Industry that this request “reflects continued support for America Makes through the Department of Defense’s Additive Manufacturing Innovation program.”
He added that the new investment will strengthen the Institute’s “efforts to transition additive manufacturing into defense applications, scale production-relevant technologies, and build a resilient industrial base.”
Steeb expects directed funding for America Makes to surpass the initial $43.7 million allocation. The extra capital, currently spread across various service budgets, could be reallocated to America Makes as priorities evolve.
$3.3 billion for projects featuring additive manufacturing
Of the $3.3 billion requested for projects incorporating additive manufacturing in FY 2026, $2.3 billion is earmarked for the OSD’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program. More than double the $1.0 billion designated for IBAS in the FY 2025 budget.
IBAS seeks to strengthen and support the companies and workers that make critical military equipment, ensuring the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) can meet current and future demands. Its FY 2026 plans include advanced training in welding, machining, non-destructive testing, fiber optics, and additive manufacturing. The program also focuses on identifying new talent pipelines and expanding the defense workforce.
After excluding IBAS funding, the total FY 2026 budget request for projects involving additive manufacturing stands at $970.5 million, a 23.1% increase from $788.7 million in FY 2025.
Within the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), $50.6 million has been requested for the Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) in the FY 2026 budget. This represents a 49.6% decrease Y/Y from $100.4 million granted in FY 2025.
ManTech focuses on developing advanced manufacturing technologies to support the DoD’s logistics and supply needs. It covers two main Lines of Effort (LOEs): Industrial Base and Aging Weapon System Support (IBA), and 3D Technical Data Modernization / Model-Based Enterprise (TDM).
The IBA program was allocated $41.5 million in the FY 2026 budget request. It includes two key additive manufacturing initiatives: Joint Additive Manufacturing Acceptability (JAMA) and Joint Additive Manufacturing Model Exchange (JAMMEX). JAMA, now in phases I–IV, aims to establish standards for qualifying 3D printed parts. Meanwhile, JAMMEX is expanding a central repository of certified 3D models for use across multiple branches of the Department of Defense.
Elsewhere, DARPA’s Enabling Production Studies and Concepts initiative is pushing the frontier of field-ready manufacturing. The program backs technologies that enable troops to produce materials, parts, and systems on demand, at the point of need. Its focus spans additive manufacturing, advanced ceramics, energetic materials, and self-healing polymers. In 2026, it aims to model and predict the performance of 3D printed components based on their microstructure and flaws. The FY 2026 budget request is $24.4 million, up 67.8% from $14.6 million in FY 2025.
The Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Advanced Research Program is leveraging 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to enable the continual, rapid, delivery-driven development of U.S. missile systems. $42.1 million has been earmarked for MDA’s Advanced Research in FY 2026, down 10.2% from $46.9 million in FY 2025.
The MDA is also running the Manufacturing and Producibility Program, which is developing manufacturing technologies to reduce manufacturing costs and lead times. This includes 3D printing advanced materials such as high-temperature metals and ceramic matrix composites. The program’s FY 2026 budget request is $1.8 million, a 43.9% drop from $3.2 million in the previous year.
Additive manufacturing is also making inroads into the Pentagon’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program. Under the All-Hazards and Respiratory Protection project, the Department is 3D printing custom-fit respiratory masks. The initiative has secured $1.5 million in the fiscal 2026 budget request, more than double the $700,000 allocated in 2025.
Within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), two initiatives are harnessing 3D printing to counter weapons of mass destruction. One focuses on enhancing weapons performance through additive manufacturing, while the other prototypes field-based systems that integrate CBRN detection with sample processing. Collectively, they have been granted $260.9 million in the DoD’s FY 2026 request, down 6.7% from a combined total of $279.5 million in FY 2025.
Lastly, the OSD’s Justification Book features eight projects that mention additive manufacturing. This includes FY 2026 funding for MIT Lincoln Laboratory ($3.5 million), Foreign Comparative Testing ($28.0 million), LIFT – the Advanced Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute ($10.512 million), Defense Innovation Acceleration ($211.0 million), Nuclear Survivability Research & Development ($3.0 million), and the OSD’s Rapid Prototyping Program ($274.9 million).
The total fiscal 2026 budget request for OSD projects involving additive manufacturing, including IBAS and Additive Manufacturing Innovation, comes to $1.34 billion, a 5.1% increase from $1.27 billion in 2025.
International Momentum: UK Defense Strategy Embraces 3D Printing
Amid growing geopolitical tensions and mounting supply chain risks, national defence agencies are stepping up investment in additive manufacturing. Earlier this year, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) published its Defence Advanced Manufacturing Strategy. This identified 3D printing as a crucial part of the British military’s future strategy roadmap.
The document highlighted additive manufacturing as a vital tool in strengthening supply chain resilience, cutting lead times, and increasing access to obsolete parts. As such, the strategy calls for accelerated adoption of 3D printing across the UK defense sector. To achieve this, it recommends increasing investment to incentivize industry, adapting policies to remove adoption barriers, and integrating AM into the defense supply chain.
According to Britain’s defense leadership, additive manufacturing can significantly improve platform and equipment availability. A Defence Innovation Unit (DIU)-commissioned report revealed that 3D printing 15% of the defense inventory could save £110M over the next 15 years. The annual net benefit could reach £35.5 million after that.
In more recent news, the MOD launched a new organization to accelerate and centralize military innovation efforts. The United Kingdom Defence Innovation (UKDI) body will manage an annual budget of at least £400 million. This capital will be used to fund the development and deployment of advanced technologies. The UKDI’s creation forms part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change and seeks to strengthen national security while boosting economic growth.
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Featured image shows the Pentagon. Photo via the United States Department of Defense.
