The US Marine Corps’ 2nd Marine Logistics Group has developed its first fully National Defense Authorization Act–compliant 3D-printed unmanned aerial system, known as HANX. Designed and produced at the II Marine Expeditionary Force Innovation Campus, the drone represents a shift toward in-house manufacturing of modular, low-cost systems tailored to operational requirements. Full NDAA compliance ensures that all electronic components are free from potential backdoors, allowing unrestricted use across Marine units. After more than 1,000 hours of design, assembly, and testing, the platform received flight approval from the Small UAS program office at Naval Air Systems Command. The Marine Corps has since established a framework that enables any unit to manufacture, maintain, and deploy HANX independently. Its modular design allows rapid reconfiguration for reconnaissance, logistics, or one-way attack missions, aligning with Washington’s broader push to expand affordable drone and loitering munition capacity while reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.
