Lockheed’s New Drone Prototype Skipped the Traditional Factory Process
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Lockheed’s New Drone Prototype Skipped the Traditional Factory Process
Replicator is a 2.7-meter drone prototype built in under 12 months using the Divergent Adaptive Production System.
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A formal group portrait of the joint Lockheed Martin and Divergent Technologies team posing behind the Replicator drone prototype. Image: Lockheed Martin
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Published on 16 June 2026
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Akhsan Erido Elezhar
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In less than 12 months, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and Divergent transformed a digital drone concept into a full-scale physical prototype.
Known as Replicator, the 2.7-meter (9-foot) platform was produced using Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS), an additive manufacturing solution designed to shorten build cycles.
The tool combines engineering design, structural analysis, manufacturing, and quality validation within a unified digital environment, linking the entire process into a single workflow.
An angled view of a sleek, grey Replicator drone prototype sitting on a display table inside a facility. Image: Lockheed Martin
Any adjustment to materials or engineering parameters is automatically reflected across production planning and analysis without requiring manual re-entry.
This allows teams to move from concept to production faster than through conventional development methods.
“The collaboration with Divergent Technologies reflects that same priority: accelerating how quickly advanced capabilities can move from design to production,” Lockheed Martin stated.
“By pairing our aeronautical expertise with DAPS, the team demonstrated what a digital design-to-production model can do.”
Backed by $25M Investment
The project follows Lockheed’s $25-million investment in Divergent to explore additive manufacturing applications for advanced munitions and the Replicator vehicle concept.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth viewed the drone during a recent visit to Divergent as part of his nationwide “Arsenal of Freedom” tour.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth closely inspects an intricately designed, 3D-printed metal component inside the manufacturing facility. Image: Lockheed Martin
According to him, the Replicator highlights how advanced manufacturing technologies could strengthen the US defense industrial base and accelerate the delivery of military...