US Soldiers learn to 3D print and fly drones in new Army course — 3-week boot camp covers everything from printer maintenance to FPV operation

Over recent years, the U.S. Army has been steadily integrating both drones and 3D printing into its arsenal. This involvement makes sense on a strategic level and provides for some interesting career opportunities for those enlisted. In a report from 3D Printing Industry, it looks like the Army has introduced a new course aimed at imparting drone and 3D printing skillsets to those enrolled, known as the Unmanned Advanced Lethality Course (UALC).

The goal of UALC is to teach soldiers a variety of protocols from 3D printer maintenance to operating FPV drones. Students must learn how to not only fly the drones but also produce them from the ground up using 3D printed assets. According to UALC, the course is designed to last for three weeks and is led by the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE).

This course is currently held at Fort Rucker in Alabama and leaves students with a handful of useful skills that easily transfer to other areas—especially 3D printing. Soldiers tackle printing with both FDM printers and resin printers. They also get to experiment with 3D printing unique materials like carbon fiber.

Students will learn to use 3D printing software and to make or modify their own 3D models. Students will be able to produce custom STL files using CAD software. There are also plans to provide a library of files that soldiers can access and print themselves once deployed back to their units.

So far, the course isn't widespread and is limited to just 28 students in the Army. This shouldn't take long to spread, however, as there are also plans in the works to expand the training through what they call "Mobile Training Packages" or MTPs for short. This will enable the students to pass on their knowledge through basic FPV training courses.

If you've ever wanted to join the military, a solid background in 3D printing might give you a tactical edge. If you want to dabble in the world of 3D printing for yourself, check out our list of best 3D printers to see what we recommend and know what to look out for when shopping.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.