The DDS are working on a "field fabricator" for the TPM which could be deployed to ships like the Missileer and produce new missiles rapidly, even in "real time". That might still be some way off but in a recent test at DDS Research a fabricator managed to build a TPM-2 in 3.8 seconds!
The missile is built from a pool of parts though some major parts such as the shell are 3-D printed when needed. Dr Forbidden said that such a fabricator could be used to build customised TPMs depending on strategic need. "Say for example a long range strike is needed then a fabricator could build a TPM with larger fuel tanks." he suggested.
The fabricator is not expected to be ready for service use until the end of the decade at least though a test version will be carried aboard a Missileer next year.
