US Navy Launches ROV from Torpedo Tube Using a 3D Printed Housing Costing Under $1,000
On October 11, 2026, Nanjixiong learned that the US Navy's Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Pasadena had successfully launched a Blueye X3 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from a torpedo tube. Key components were manufactured locally by Navy personnel using 3D printing.The test was conducted jointly by the submarine's crew, the Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity (SIMA) 2M shop, SIMA's additive manufacturing department and a Blueye Robotics technical representative. Launching an ROV from a flooded torpedo tube requires waterproof connections to protect wiring and maintain high-speed communication in seawater. SIMA's AM department designed and printed a custom waterproof housing with a Formlabs Form 4L and Rigid 10K resin. The 2M shop installed the low-voltage wiring.
The team initially considered a temporary modification called a fiber-optic penetrator, costing approximately $200,000 per submarine to install. The printed housing allowed the crew to communicate with the ROV without this modification. Material and labor costs for the entire test were under $1,000. The project builds on the Green Remora initiative to provide submarine divers with better search tools.
Nanjixiong's observation
This illustrates the value of low-cost rapid prototyping in military applications: a solution costing about $1,000 replaced a $200,000 modification, with frontline personnel performing the design and fabrication locally. Such deck-level rapid manufacturing is changing naval maintenance and innovation.
Source: VoxelMatters.
Original source article
AI-translated from an article by Kuaixiong on Nanjixiong, originally published on 2026-10-11. Text and images retain the original source attribution.
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