On August 20, 2026, Phase3D was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of the Air Force to extend its real-time in-situ inspection platform, Fringe Inspection, from metal additive manufacturing to ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), targeting hypersonic, propulsion, and thermal protection systems. Fringe Inspection uses calibrated structured light scanning to generate 3D height maps layer by layer and compare them against design data, enabling real-time detection of dimensional, geometrical, and positional deviations. The first phase will focus on developing material-specific calibration methods, defect classification models, and validation protocols to identify matrix cracking, porosity, delamination, and fiber pullout during the manufacturing process. Key Air Force stakeholders include AFLCMC/ROD, the Rapid Sustainment Office, and AFRL/RX. Value for powder buyers: ① The extension of in-situ inspection from metal AM to CMCs signals accelerating industrialization of ceramic powder/CMC routes in U.S. Air Force hypersonic and propulsion programs; ② Accumulated layer-by-layer quality data will drive the establishment of powder–process parameter standards, making powder consistency a critical variable for in-situ inspection pass rates; ③ Monitor growing demand for CMC powders (e.g., SiC-based) as thermal protection and propulsion applications scale up.