Photo By Airman 1st Class David S. Calcote | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Abbott, 374th Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals...... read more read more
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The 374th Airlift Wing futures office hosted members from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force Operations Support Wing and Air Development and Test Command during an additive manufacturing symposium at Yokota Air Base, Sept. 5.
The symposium offered JASDF attendees not only a hands-on introduction to additive and subtractive manufacturing innovations, but also an opportunity to strengthen ties with U.S. Air Force counterparts while building on operational capabilities using additive manufacturing.
“The additive manufacturing approach is cost-effective and makes it possible to rapidly develop, prototype, and produce complex, customized components that traditional methods cannot easily achieve,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Feagin, 374 AW futures office project manager.
Additive manufacturing creates objects by building them layer by layer from a digital design, rather than carving or casting parts from large chunks of material. In contrast, subtractive manufacturing removes material from a solid block through processes such as cutting, drilling, or milling to achieve the desired shape. Together, these methods enable the production of fully customized components, some of which would be difficult or impossible to create using traditional manufacturing alone.
“By working side by side with our partners, we’re not just sharing technology, we’re developing ways to solve operational challenges together,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael Feagin, 374 AW futures office project manager. “This type of collaboration directly enhances readiness across the Indo-Pacific.”
Since 2019, the futures office has pioneered these printing technologies across the installation, providing rapid, cost-effective solutions ranging across multiple units from the 374th Maintenance Group to the 374th Medical Group.
“Through additive manufacturing, we’ve been able to solve frequent problems like broken CPR mannequin parts for the 374 MDG,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Ronald Knox, 374 AW futures office design lead. “Replacing them used to cost about $90 each, but with 3D printing we produced them for less than 30 cents apiece within just an hour.”
Participants also explored Yokota’s metals technology lab, where they observed subtractive manufacturing processes such as computer numerical control machining. Unlike additive manufacturing, these methods shape materials by cutting or drilling, which remains critical for precision work and heavy-duty parts that repair metal parts for aircraft and support equipment.
“Subtractive manufacturing is a process that utilizes cutting operations to produce a finished part from stock by cutting away metal,” said Staff Sgt. Jacob Micallef, 374th Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology technician. “Our primary role is to serve aircraft maintenance needs with the 374 MXS and the 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, by fabricating replacement parts from raw metals as well as repairing damaged parts to include removing damaged hardware.”
“The goal was to show the JASDF what manufacturing capabilities we have and how we use them to maintain aircraft and support equipment,” said Micallef. “This gives them a perspective on the equipment relevant to a machine shop that supports military airlift operations, which helps their decision-making on determining what equipment to acquire and training their members would benefit from.”
Through this symposium, JASDF members were introduced to advanced additive and subtractive manufacturing processes, showcasing how U.S. Air Force innovation can reduce costs, improve efficiency and ultimately strengthen bilateral interoperability. The Yokota Futures Office pairs technology with partnership to demonstrate how innovation directly supports warfighters, reduces downtime, and advances interoperability to support a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2025 23:40 |
| Story ID: | 548245 |
| Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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