A Hawaii-based startup is proposing a different way to build military boats. Print them from a digital file using volcanic basalt-reinforced material instead of manufacturing them in a shipyard.

The company Voltage Vessels has submitted a six-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) for U.S. maritime defense evaluation as it explores potential integration into autonomous naval programs.

The concept centers around additive manufacturing and a custom material called Eclipse X9, developed by the company using recycled PETG thermoplastic reinforced with chopped basalt fiber. A volcanic material abundant in Hawaii.

Unlike traditional military boat construction, which relies on molds, fiberglass layup, tooling, and fixed facilities, the approach aims to enable distributed production, allowing boats or replacement components to be printed closer to where forces operate.

For the US, this idea is particularly relevant in Indo-Pacific operations, where replacing damaged maritime assets would require long logistics chains.

From factories to digital boat production

According to Defense Blog, Voltage Vessels describes the concept as a distributed composite manufacturing model in which production capability moves with the force rather than remaining concentrated in shipyards. Regional nodes could theoretically print hulls and structural components directly from digital design files using locally supplied material. 

The six-meter RHIB itself was produced using a CEAD large-format additive manufacturing system, an industrial-scale printer already used for composite applications.

RHIBs occupy an important role in naval operations. The fast, hard-bottomed inflatable craft are widely used for boarding operations, personnel transport, maritime interdiction, and special operations missions. Voltage argues that conventional production methods create vulnerabilities because damaged craft must often be replaced through centralized manufacturing and long-distance shipping.

The alternative proposed here is digital distribution. Moving files and feedstock instead of complete boats.

Basalt composite designed for marine and defense use

The enabling technology is Eclipse X9. The material combines recycled PETG with basalt fiber reinforcement. Basalt composites already have industrial applications in marine structures, rebar systems, and fire-resistant materials due to corrosion resistance and chemical stability.

Voltage reformulated the material specifically for large-format printing. According to testing conducted at the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, as cited by Defense Blog editor Dylan Malyasov, Eclipse X9 reached a tensile strength of roughly 108 MPa along the print orientation, compared with about 49 MPa for the HDPro composite used as a benchmark material. Bending strength also reportedly exceeded common wood-filled PETG alternatives. 

The company also states that the material retained more than 90% of its strength after over two years of saltwater exposure while keeping water absorption below 0.4%. Another feature attracting defense interest is electromagnetic behavior.

Unlike metallic structures, basalt fiber is non-conductive and exhibits low dielectric properties. Voltage says this provides the material with radio-frequency transparency advantages that may benefit autonomous vessels carrying communications systems, sensors, and electronic payloads, although evaluation is ongoing for specific operating frequencies.

A logistics play for the Pacific

Ultimately, the significance may lie less in the boat itself and more in logistics. U.S. military strategy increasingly emphasizes distributed maritime operations across the Indo-Pacific, where moving equipment from the continental United States to locations such as Guam or the Philippines can take weeks.

Voltage argues locally printed hulls could reduce replacement timelines to days, requiring only printers, power, and feedstock. The company says its U.S.-based infrastructure could eventually scale to around 15,000 metric tons of material annually while future regional production nodes are planned across the Indo-Pacific framework.

The model also introduces a circular manufacturing element. Because PETG thermoplastics can be reprocessed, retired printed structures could theoretically be shredded and reused as feedstock for future production.