NSWC Corona Assists with Advanced Manufacturing During RIMPAC 2026

HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

08.11.2026

Courtesy Story

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

HONOLULU – Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division partnered with joint-force warfighters to integrate advanced manufacturing into Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, taking place in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 24-26.

In partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School's Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) and FLEETWERX, NSWC Corona engineers and technicians worked alongside a joint team of Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, and Department of War (DoW) civilian experts to operationalize advanced manufacturing, providing the on-demand expertise to reverse-engineer, print, and implement mission-essential components. NSWC Corona's embedded engineers served as a direct, on-demand safety net providing the critical technical analysis and quality assurance that allowed warfighters to design, create, and install safe and reliable 3D-printed parts in real time.

RIMPAC 2026 marked one of the most significant advanced manufacturing demonstrations conducted by the DoW, bringing together joint and coalition partners in a singular, concerted effort.

Operating out of “The Forge” at Schofield Barracks, NSWC Corona Division Lead Engineer Kevin Demesa supported advanced manufacturing operations by organizing the movement of advanced manufacturing machines into operational environments. These machines were installed in the hangar bays of amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), as well as aboard Canada’s MV Asterix (A147).

“In previous exercises, we were just testing if the machines worked,” Demesa said. “RIMPAC 2026 is about operationalizing the technology, proving these printers can survive real-world deployments on active warships."

Historically, manufacturing at sea relied on large amounts of space and raw materials. Advanced manufacturing, or 3D printing, uses minimal, lightweight supplies.

"Instead of carrying 10,000 pounds of steel, we just carry wire that we print the metal out of," said Gunnery Sgt. Samuel Margarini, a Marine Corps machinist with Combat Logistics Battalion 13 aboard amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). "The machine even has its own generator that takes regular air and turns it into the nitrogen we need, so we don't have to carry big gas bottles."

For some parts, replacement through traditional supply chains can take months to years. Advanced manufacturing creates a more resilient logistics network by reducing timelines and costs, delivering mission-critical parts and capabilities directly to the point of need. This capability increases military unit self-sustainability, especially in contested areas.

"Under fire, that whole supply chain will be strained," said Lt. Jonathan Ferentinos, aircraft intermediate maintenance department quality assurance officer aboard aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). “This gives us the ability to be proportionally self-sustained in a contested environment. We need our Sailors to be the ones in that position to make those parts."

Kendra-Rose Jucal, NSWC Corona mechanical engineer, mentored warfighters manufacturing parts aboard USS Essex (LHD 2) and USS Theodore Roosevelt.

"The parts we work on can be from anything. We mainly work with a lot of in-service parts, like valves, plumbing and hinges for doors," Jucal said. "There's just so much possibility."

For U.S. Army Sgt. Donny Arthur, an allied trade specialist with 626th Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, it was his first time aboard a ship, and his first time seeing how his work could be implemented across the joint force. Arthur and his cohort were involved with 3D printing to shorten logistical timelines, lower costs, and remain combat-ready while deployed.

"Let's say you're downrange or overseas, some of these parts have up to two years of a back order,” said Arthur. “If we can create these parts in-house while we're deployed, we can get these items faster. Helping move the mission along and expediting everything."

Sgt. Jaeden Bynoe, another Marine Corps machinist with Combat Logistics Battalion 13 aboard USS Essex (LHD 2) , explained how some pieces and parts that need replacement are no longer produced.

"These ships are old. Some are over 30 years old," Bynoe said. "A lot of this stuff has been out of production for years, and if you do order it, you just can't get it. For us to be able to print them out...it keeps the ship going."

Branches across the joint force are often confronted by logistical challenges such as inflexible timelines and financial constraints. These challenges are amplified by real-world combat conditions – such as being deployed under fire without adequate time, space or resources. This requires an equally significant leap in interoperability across the branches, which has played a pivotal role in expanding advanced manufacturing capabilities throughout the DoW.

"We're working out of Schofield Barracks, an Army base, to get Navy-built Marine Corps parts onto a Navy ship," said Lucas Grinius, a mechanical engineer with the Expeditionary Systems Engineering Division at NSWC Corona. "It really does feel like one unified team trying to get to this goal."

Looking to the future, the strategic implications of advanced manufacturing are boundless. As the DoW works to build the platforms and arsenals of the future, advanced manufacturing is the critical bridge ensuring that existing assets are ready to fight and win tonight.

At RIMPAC, NSWC Corona demonstrated its expertise in the ever-growing realm of advanced manufacturing, a modern warfighting discipline that merges logistics, engineering, and digital technology to deliver capabilities directly to the Fleet.

For Margarini, having NSWC Corona’s engineering team embedded on the ship was a game changer.

"Having engineers on call at any time is a giant benefit," he said. "It's like having scientists in your pocket."

Thirty nations, over 30 surface ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 206 aircraft and 30,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 24 to July 31, 2026. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2026 is the 30th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

-USN-

• Date Taken: 08.11.2026
• Date Posted: 09.18.2026 13:47
• Story ID: 573780
• Location: HONOLULU, HAWAII, US