The Armed Forces of Ukraine are facing a serious logistical problem: a significant portion of the military equipment supplied by Western partners has already been discontinued. The lack of access to original spare parts and technical documentation has forced logisticians to seek non-standard solutions to maintain the army's combat readiness.
As reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing a statement from the Logistics Forces Command, many foreign manufacturers have either switched to producing new models or refuse to provide documentation for independent repair and production of components. In this situation, additive technology has come to the rescue.
Technological breakthrough in conditions of shortage
To solve the problem of spare part shortages, modern 3D printers provided by international partners were deployed. This equipment allows for the manufacture of necessary parts directly on the territory of Ukraine, minimizing dependence on external supplies.
To work effectively with the new equipment, Ukrainian specialists underwent training abroad. The results of the training are already visible in the statistics: according to the Logistics Forces, to date, 40% of parts for weapons and military equipment (WME) of the engineering forces, which partners cannot supply, are printed on 3D printers.
Development of own production
The use of 3D printing has become part of a broader strategy for import substitution. Previously, representatives of the Ukrainian defense industry reported an increase in the production of their own components for weapons and drones.
Currently, Ukrainian enterprises are already producing body elements, mechanical parts, as well as some electronic boards and modules. Despite the progress, dependence on the import of critical components remains, however, the development of 3D printing technologies allows to significantly mitigate the consequences of logistical disruptions.