"Marines Test Killer Hovercraft, Wooden Glider..." Topic

… & 3D Printers For The Battlefield

" A hovercraft that shoots salvoes of rockets. A speedboat that turns into a submarine. A mobile 3D printing factory. A big wooden box with wings (yes, really). And, of course, more drones than you can shake a stick at (because they swarm).

These are just a few of the roughly 100 technologies the Marine Corps will check out in its upcoming experimental wargame at Camp Pendleton. About 50 are ready for real-world demonstrations. Another 50 will just be on display, this time, though they might be ready for field tests by the next "S2ME2 ANTX" (that's Ship To Shore Maneuver Exploration and Experimentation Advanced Naval Technology Exercise 2017).

Getting all this tech together has been a nine-month crash program, with top Marine and Navy leaders bypassing the normal bureaucracy to counter new threats. Here's a quick look at some of my fave technologies…"

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Armand

If $600 USD * 3 = $1,800 USD for the NYLON used in a parafoil.

Even if cost price means cost to the US military rather than pre-mark-up…. that's pretty expensive nylon.
I wonder how much it'd cost if it was just a business buying it.

Rip-stop nylon fabric is about $5 USD for a 60x36" piece. IIRC a cargo parafoil is 36x60 feet, which is 144x the size of the $5 USD piece ($720). Plus it's two layers of fabric ($1440) with additional fabric to make cells between the layers, so $1,800 USD sounds about right.