The US Air Force has successfully used a robot to build a replacement part for a C-17 Globemaster III, getting the aircraft back in the air after severe storm damage.
The C-17, assigned to the 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was damaged in a storm in March 2025, with its left-side door, fuselage, and nose damaged. Boeing was unable to find a vendor to build a replacement nose panel, but the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office used a process called incremental sheet forming to create the part.
The successful production and installation of the part marks the first time an incrementally formed part has been used on an Air Force aircraft. The Air Force expects to continue using this technology to produce hard-to-find parts for its aging fleet.
