Additive manufacturing in military and humanitarian missions: Advantages and challenges in the spare parts supply chain of the Dutch Army

This study focuses on the impact of Additive Manufacturing (AM) on the sustainability and responsiveness of the spare parts supply chain of armed forces. Desk research, systematic literature review and semi structured interviews with different stakeholders demonstrate that AM can reduce lead times, waste, energy use, spare parts inventories, as well as improve system readiness of armed forces, specifically during military and humanitarian missions abroad. However, challenges must be met. This paper connects AM and the growing importance of sustainability with the need for well-prepared operational armed forces and outlines an agenda for future research.