Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi divulge how Quantum-Systems’ embrace of 3D printing is transforming drone design, defense readiness, and supply chain resilience—propelling the company from Munich to the frontlines of modern warfare.
Since its 2015 founding, Munich-based Quantum‑Systems has made 3D printing the backbone of its unmanned systems strategy. The company’s early adoption of additive manufacturing for design, prototyping, and production aligns directly with its core mission: weight reduction, a critical factor for drone endurance and payload optimization. Every gram shaved through topological optimization, lattice structures, or continuous carbon‑fiber composite shells boosts range and flight time.
In September 2023, Quantum‑Systems opened a second U.S. manufacturing facility in Moorpark, California. Spanning 20,000 sq ft—and soon scaling to 135,000 sq ft—it’s designed to serve their Vector eVTOL fixed‑wing line with faster production cycles and better supply chain integration. The move positions the company to pursue major U.S. government drones, surveillance, and defense equipment contracts.
Quantum’s founder and CEO, Florian Siebel—leveraging both German engineering rigor and firsthand U.S. military experience—has underscored the “synergy” between Teutonic precision and American entrepreneurial speed. That’s embodied in their operational footprint from Munich to California and Australia, and in their recent donation of 100 surveillance drones to Ukraine.
3D Printing’s Role in Drone Design & Production
1. Structural Weight Reduction
Lightweight structural elements remain core to drone viability. 3D printing composite and polymer parts eliminates the need for fasteners, bolts, and joints, reducing complexity and weight. For example, a carbon‑fiber–reinforced thermoplastic UAV frame can weigh as little as 75 g, compared to 130–230 g for aluminum, yet sustain payloads near 294 N.
2. Complex, Optimized Geometry
Additive manufacturing enables almost organic shapes impossible with CNC or molding. Designers can integrate lattice infills, stress-relief voids, and topologically optimized contours to pull maximum strength from minimal material. Instead of multiple joined parts, whole drone airframes emerge as single-print print resilient, lighter, and production-efficient.
3. Modular Payload & Rapid Repair
Take the U.S. Army’s On‑Demand Small UAV System (ODSUAS): soldiers input mission parameters on the fly, prompting a tailored drone—complete with sensors and cameras—to be printed within 24 hours. These drones are built from 3D printed airframes and off‑the‑shelf electronics, enabling immediacy in remote environments.
Quantum-Systems extends this philosophy: its Vector eVTOL platform supports different payload modules (e.g., ISR cameras, LiDAR, CBRN sensors) with plug-and-play flexibility. Future field prints could allow teams deploying from the new California facility to pre-load drones customized for specialized missions.
Examples of Military 3D printed Systems
Hellhound: A 375‑mph Loitering Munition
In May 2025, Cummings Aerospace—based in Huntsville, AL, unveiled Hellhound, a turbojet-powered, loitering munition. At over 375 mph, it’s among the fastest attributable drones yet. Crucially, its entire airframe is 3D printed; the remaining components are plug-and-play commercial-off-the-shelf parts. Weighing under 25 lbs., Hellhound can be carried in a rucksack and printed within days, making it ideal for Infantry brigades in the U.S. Army’s LASSO program.
Hellhound’s modular nose design lets operators swap payloads—ISR sensors or munitions—by hand, making it flexible in mission planning. This rapid adaptability reflects lessons from Ukraine: modular, scalable, disposable drones reduce logistical burdens and rapidly fill mission gaps .
Perdix, Razor, Nibbler & Swarm Micro‑drones
DARPA’s Perdix micro-drone program and the University of Virginia’s Razor and MITRE-backed Nibbler reinforce 3D printing’s impact in swarm and micro-aircraft development—often deploying from fighter jets or ground stacks, performing ISR, electronic attack, or kamikaze missions—all at minimal cost and weight.
Airbus THOR & Large Drone Structures
Airbus’s 2015 THOR UAV—the second-ever printed aircraft—was largely 3D printed in polyamide, showcasing full vehicle fabrication beyond components. More recently, Stratasys and Airbus printed complex wing surfaces with micro-grid infills to optimize lift and stress distribution.
Hybrid UAV platforms, like Aurora Flight Sciences’ tilt‑rotor and Lockheed’s blended‑wing prototypes, highlight additive manufacturing’s strengths—integrated struts, embedded channels, and monolithic fuselage structures—made possible only through printing.
Beyond Drones: Military Hardware Reimagined
Metal Additive Manufacturing for Defense Platforms
Companies like Northrop Grumman have leveraged additive manufacturing for over two decades—printing thousands of metallic parts for aircraft, satellites, and other defense systems. From internal ducts to critical brackets, these parts offer optimized weight, complex geometry, and reduced logistical risks.
Field-Deployable Printing Pods
FLEETWERX, a DoD-backed initiative, is pioneering mobile additive manufacturing pods—which can print stainless steel, composites, and more onsite. Their portable units operate in austere conditions, including the Indo-Pacific region, reducing dependence on fragile logistics chains.
The pods are complemented by AR-based training, enabling troops to use printers and produce parts in the field. Integrated with drone logistics—like swarms delivering replacement parts—this creates a self-sustaining maintenance ecosystem.
Small Arms and Accessories
On Reddit, users highlight how military units—from British logistics corps to U.S. forces—print everything from NVG mounts to compass housings, spare radios parts, weapon fixtures, and vehicle linkage knobs. Soldiers carry raw material reels instead of bulky spare parts, reducing footprint and increasing adaptability.
Strategic Trends & Future Directions
- Logistics Decentralization
The U.S. Army’s 2021 Additive Manufacturing Strategy and FLEETWERX demonstrate a shift toward decentralized manufacturing capabilities—pods, edge printing, drone logistics—all serving frontline units. - Affordability through Attributable Systems
Programs like Hellhound and swarming micro-drones deliver capabilities at scale. Because they’re inexpensive to print, they can be deployed in large numbers with little strategic risk. - Complexity & Integration
Printed engine parts (e.g., SpaceX SuperDraco rocket chamber), drone airframes, and structural components show additive manufacturing’s expanding foothold—from internal precision parts to full vehicular structures. - Modular Interchangeability
Inserts, payload bays, and nose sections are increasingly plug-and-play. Field operators can tailor drones on the spot, empowering adaptability and mission-specific tailoring. - Autonomous Field Manufacturing
The full-stack ecosystem—printer pods, AR training, drone delivery, hybrid supply chain—is gaining momentum. Quantum‑Systems remains at the heart of this wave, linking 3D printing R&D with real-world production and defense deployments.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now permanent Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing and revising 3D printed prototypes are typically eligible expenses toward the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software can also be an eligible R&D expense. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit-eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
With a California facility, the company will be able to utilize the lucrative California R&D tax credit for its U.S. innovation activities
The Sky’s the Limit
Quantum‑Systems isn’t alone in making 3D printing integral to unmanned systems. From micro‑drones to turbojet munitions, metal aircraft components to field‑deployable pods, the additive revolution is here—and accelerating.
As Quantum opens its expanded California plant, the implications are immediate: faster iteration, greater production resilience, and mass customizability across defense theaters. Combined with modular design, swarm scalability, and decentralized logistics, 3D printing is not just a manufacturing method—it’s a strategic asset in modern warfighting.
