“I've talked to Congress in classified sessions on this, but how we choose to speak about it, in terms of the particular programs or projects that will be accelerating through Replicator is to be determined,” said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department will decide by mid-December which attritable autonomous systems will be the first ones mass produced under the new Replicator initiative, but don’t expect a big public unveiling, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
“We will select the candidates within the next … three weeks,” Hicks said at a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, DC, today. “I would not necessarily say the candidates will be announced. We’re being very careful.”
Since the ultimate goal is to mass produce those drones for the Indo-Pacific theater to create a dilemma for the Chinese military in the event of conflict, she said details — including what systems are selected — are likely to remain scarce to avoid undermining the entire effort.
“We will be very clear and transparent with Congress. I’ve talked to Congress in classified sessions on this, but how we choose to speak about it, in terms of the particular programs or projects that will be accelerating through Replicator is to be determined,” Hicks added. She did not disclose if a “controlled unclassified information” stamp will be attached to that list.
That said, though, the selected projects are already in the fiscal 2024 budget request, and Hicks said the department is not looking for a new chunk of money for this first tranche of Replicator drones. Instead, it is seeking ways to speed up production and delivery and bridge one valley of death between innovation and fielding.
“How do we pick the ones that are most relevant for Indo-Pacom and that can deliver quickly and that can deliver in quantity? That’s what we’re looking at right now,” Hicks said.
In late August, Hicks unveiled the new Replicator initiative that is designed to find attritable autonomous systems already in the services or combatant commands pipeline and crank out thousands over the next two years. Since that initial announcement, details have been slowly trickling out but also prompting questions from analysts and lawmakers about implementation and funding, including from Rep. Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Armed Services cyber, innovative technologies and information systems subcommittee.
Hicks said that while she doesn’t anticipate needing additional FY24 dollars for Replicator, the department may for FY25, and a budget request that is still being crafted. Specifically, the department is eyeing additional attritable systems for its Replicator umbrella that are less mature today but could be ready for mass production within the next 18 to 20 months.
“We’ll add funds as needed in there, or maybe the services have already put the funds there: We’ll be able to tell the Hill what that looks like,” Hicks said, noting that she has already spoken with Gallagher.
“I have been very clear with him, and I will say very clearly here: We are all about the strategy winning. We are not going to go after long-range strike platforms or systems or munitions that are critical to the fight in order to look at another approach here, which is complementary to [but] doesn’t substitute for it,” she added.
Others:
Hicks: DOD Is Becoming More Agile (globalsecurity.org)
Pentagon Is Poised to Pick ‘Replicator’ Drones to Counter China (vnexplorer.net)
