US sends Replicator suicide drone swarm to counter China in Indo-Pacific

Defense One explains that all US military services are expected to participate in testing, acquiring, and deploying these technologies. The hope is that the rapid deployment of a large number of networked drones could help deter Chinese aggression in the Pacific before 2027.

This deadline is when many analysts anticipate China may attempt a military maneuver to annex Taiwan. Additionally, the program could enable the department to move toward new, significantly faster acquisition models.

First “Replicator” drones have been delivered

Announced in a public statement, the lack of details regarding which specific drones have been delivered is noteworthy. This could be a deliberate choice, as Pentagon officials understandably prefer to keep adversaries unaware of potential threats.

However, the initial set of “Replicator” drones is expected to include unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and counter-unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS) of various sizes and payloads from multiple traditional and non-traditional vendors.

“I am pleased to announce that the Department will begin investing in scalable production for these critical capabilities,” Deputy Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks is quoted as stating in the press release.

“We are taking an important step toward strengthening our defense and technology industrial base,” she added.

“And, we are demonstrating the Department’s ability to break down barriers to scaling innovation at speed not just for [all-domain attritable autonomous] ADA2 systems, but in our ability to develop new capabilities and processes for the Department and key stakeholders, including Congress.”

As reported by Defense News, in a briefing earlier this month, senior defense officials, speaking anonymously, mentioned that the initial systems in Replicator will consist of AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600, a loitering munition.

Additionally, the systems will include maritime drones that were acquired through a solicitation posted earlier this year by the Defense Innovation Unit, which procures high-tech weapons for the Pentagon.

Many more to come

As depicted above, other potential drones include Shield AI’s V-BAT drones, with major defense contractors like Northrop Grumman developing their own kinds. It is unclear if the delivered drones comprise any or all of these.

“This is just the beginning,” said Admiral Christopher Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Replicator is helping us jumpstart the delivery of critical capabilities at scale. We will build on that momentum with industry partners to deliver what the warfighter needs, and remove barriers to doing so again and again.”

The Pentagon has requested $1 billion to fund the program between this fiscal year and fiscal year (FY) 2025. In FY2024, part of the funding comes from a reprogramming request sent to Congress, seeking authorization to reallocate existing funds.

The remaining $500 million in FY2025 is already included in the Pentagon’s proposed budget, distributed across various funding categories.