US military’s high-performing defense products could soon be built with next-gen ceramic

AeroVironment won a $20 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract under the CAMP program.

The work will advance next-generation ceramics and ceramic matrix composites using additive manufacturing, sensor integration, and improved fabrication and modeling methods.

The materials are aimed at extreme aerospace and defense applications, including hypersonic, propulsion, space, and armor systems.

Better advanced ceramics could boost durability, heat resistance, and performance while helping lower lifecycle costs for the Air and Space Forces.