Global standards organization ASTM International has been selected for a NATO-funded initiative on unmanned surface vehicle (USV) standardization, titled “Unmanned Surface Vehicles Standardization: Current Status and Future Outlook.” The project aims to strengthen interoperability, operational readiness, and future USV capabilities across the alliance.
The initiative will leverage ASTM’s expertise in advanced manufacturing and standards development to assess current frameworks, identify gaps, and provide practical recommendations for adopting emerging USV technologies. It will review NATO and non-NATO standards, certification approaches, and technical frameworks, while exploring collaboration with Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs), industry partners, and other defense stakeholders. The ultimate goal is to ensure NATO members can efficiently integrate USV technologies into operational environments.
“Defense readiness depends on more than standards alone—it requires trusted technical frameworks, collaboration across borders, and the ability to translate innovation into deployable capability,” said Dr. Mohsen Seifi, vice president of global advanced manufacturing programs at ASTM International.
ASTM International’s Role in Defense Innovation
The project builds on ASTM’s formal Memorandum of Understanding with NATO, reinforcing its role in aligning defense technologies. Through standards development, advisory services, training, pilot programs, and qualification frameworks, ASTM helps defense industries move emerging technologies from concept to operational deployment.
“ASTM International’s advanced manufacturing programs team is excited to collaborate with our European partners to drive innovation and standardization for USV technology that bolsters the future capacity of the NATO alliance. This project reflects our broader commitment to supporting defense stakeholders with the tools, partnerships, and expertise needed to move emerging technologies from concept to operational reality,” Dr. Seifi added.
Consortium and Global Partnerships
The initiative is delivered by a consortium led by INTRACOM DEFENSE (IDE), a Greece-based defense systems company serving as the primary contractor, alongside DEFENCE STANDARDIZATION ADVICE P.C. (DEFSTAND), a Greek SME specializing in interoperability and standardization management.
Beyond NATO, ASTM collaborates with the European Defence Agency (EDA) on additive manufacturing, industrial scale-up, and qualification processes, as well as the UK Ministry of Defence, supporting advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and emerging technologies. These global partnerships enable ASTM to strengthen defense innovation, technology interoperability, and resilience across critical and emerging technology domains.
Limits and Boundaries of AM for NATO USVs
While additive manufacturing accelerates production and enables rapid prototyping of USV components, it does not eliminate all operational or logistical challenges. Full deployment of AM-produced parts still requires rigorous qualification and standardization across member states, which can be time-consuming. Material and process limitations also constrain what components can currently be printed. Furthermore, AM adoption depends on the capacity of individual member nations to integrate 3D printing infrastructure domestically, meaning that production speed and interoperability are bounded by existing industrial capabilities.
NATO’s Need for Additive Manufacturing
NATO faces a pressing operational constraint: its member states require interoperable, deployable USVs, but traditional manufacturing cannot respond quickly enough to emerging defense needs. Long procurement cycles, fragmented supply chains, and the complexity of high-precision parts create bottlenecks in readiness. AM addresses these constraints by enabling rapid, on-demand production of complex components, shortening lead times, and allowing member nations to produce mission-specific parts domestically.
Beyond the Unmanned Surface Vehicles Standardization initiative, NATO is leveraging AM to overcome operational and procurement limitations across its members. Programs like the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) provide capital and support to startups developing dual-use technologies, including 3D printing solutions that can be rapidly qualified, standardized, and deployed across allied forces. Similarly, NATO’s DIANA Phase 2 cohort includes 15 companies from 10 countries, with two using additive manufacturing, as the accelerator scouts, refines, and connects technologies for rapid adoption by NATO defense ministries. Together, these initiatives enable NATO to accelerate the deployment of emerging technologies, strengthening alliance readiness and resilience.
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Featured image shows ASTM’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence aims to accelerate additive manufacturing standardization. Photo via ASTM International.
