In the Pacific theatre, speed and proximity to battlefields trump all. Enter Firestorm Labs with its mobile xCell manufacturing platform, capable of producing drones in less than a day from within a single container.

The startup, backed by major investors like NEA and Lockheed Martin, has pivoted from drone maker to factory-on-wheels. Its co-founders bring diverse expertise: a veteran special operations officer and an engineer with over a dozen patents in 3D printing.

xCell prints the body and shell of drones using HP’s industrial-grade 3D printers. The Pentagon sees this as crucial, given the critical need to keep supply lines open under fire. The Air Force contract alone values at $100 million, with over a third already committed.

Firestorm is not just a tech play; it aligns with broader US defence priorities. With the Indo-Pacific region posing unique challenges, Firestorm aims for operational deployment within two years to address rapid design changes and logistics issues, making traditional fixed factories obsolete.