Israel – October 24, 2026 -- Massivit 3D Printing Technologies (TASE: MSVT) has appointed retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Chris "Alf" Athearn, a former overseer of a defense armaments portfolio above $5 billion, to its Advisory Board to speed its entry into the U.S. aerospace and defense market.
Athearn brings 35 years of weapons acquisition experience
Athearn spent 35 years in advanced airborne weapons systems, defense acquisition and defense industrial base strategy, holding senior posts in the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense. He served as Commander of DCMA Northrop Grumman, the Defense Contract Management Agency office covering one of the world's largest defense prime contractors. He was also responsible for oversight of more than 400 defense contractors across seven U.S. states.
Weapons Capacity Task Force work targeted production shortfalls
From 2022 to 2024, Athearn led the Weapons Capacity Task Force, which addressed Defense Industrial Base shortfalls and sought to accelerate weapons production. He developed strategies for affordable mass production and pushed for distributed manufacturing and the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies to raise capacity and supply chain resilience.
Massivit expects his expertise to strengthen its relationships with leading defense contractors, military stakeholders and key program offices.
Massivit builds a U.S.-rooted manufacturing presence for defense
The appointment is part of Massivit's effort to establish a U.S.-rooted presence and manufacturing ecosystem serving the defense sector. CEO Yossi Azarzar called the United States a key strategic market and said Athearn's industry relationships would accelerate engagement with leading aerospace and defense organizations.
Massivit's Cast In Motion (CIM) platform is a large-format digital deposition system for dual-component thermoset composite tooling. Its U.S. subsidiary, Massivit 3D USA, holds an active SAM.gov registration and CAGE Code, which allow direct federal procurement.
Athearn said many U.S. defense programs still depend on legacy manufacturing methods. He described Massivit's technology as a "game changer for defense manufacturing" that can cut production lead times and shorten the time needed to field new operational capabilities.