NNSA’s Aires Tide marks first tangible result of Genesis Mission using AI and AM
The US nuclear security agency used a combination of artificial intelligence and 3D printing to cut development costs and timelines for a proof-of-concept flight vehicle
The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has unveiled Aires Tide, a proof-of-concept flight test vehicle developed through a combination of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and additive manufacturing. The program produced a functional flight vehicle at a claimed one-fifteenth of the cost and in one-seventh of the time compared to conventional manufacturing approaches.
Aires Tide represents the first concrete output of the Genesis Mission, a White House-directed initiative launched by executive order in November 2025 to connect national laboratory supercomputers through an AI-enabled network. NNSA used that platform to take Aires Tide from initial system design through to flight testing.
Three national labs, one Kansas City campus
Development drew on three NNSA National Laboratories — Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia — working alongside NNSA’s Kansas City National Security Campus. Two of NNSA’s flagship supercomputers, Venado and El Capitan, supported the design process.
In May 2026, Nuclear Security Enterprise scientists carried out two successful flight tests, releasing the vehicle from 32,000 feet at the US Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Data gathered from those tests will feed into future systems built on the same design and manufacturing model.
“Aires Tide is a remarkable early demonstration of how NNSA is putting the Genesis Mission into action,” said Brandon Williams, NNSA Administrator. “President Trump has made it clear that America must lead the world in artificial intelligence and use emerging technologies to strengthen our national security.
“By combining AI, high-performance computing, and additive manufacturing, we are pioneering a faster, more efficient model to design and produce capabilities for national security while keeping human judgment firmly at the center.”
