The Defense Collective

The Pentagon’s next phase of its innovative Replicator initiative will focus on countering small drones at military installations across the globe, the department announced Monday. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the Replicator 2 effort in a Sept. 27 memo, tasking Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Christopher Grady with overseeing the development of the plan. The plan will be part of the fiscal 2026 defense budget request, according to the memo. Lloyd said he expects Replicator 2 to deliver enhanced protection against small uncrewed aerial systems within 24 months of Congress greenlighting the necessary funding. Given the timeline, defense officials have until the end of 2024 to finalize the plan, but whether funding for the initiative is included in the 2026 President’s budget request and even the initiative’s future will depend on who occupies the White House next year. Austin said the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will serve as the primary responsibility office for Replicator 2 — DIU Director Doug Beck will work closely with Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante, who will serve as the C-sUAS principal staff assistant. #replicator #DIU #DoD

Relatively few analysts at the services’ doctrine organizations are working full-time to glean lessons from the war. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Lessons Learned Division, which helps spread findings among the services, has no “working groups or individuals” who focus solely on Ukraine, a spokesman said. #EUCOM #Ukraine #Russia

“Retention prediction network” could reveal signs that trainers and recruiters might otherwise miss. A new experiential initiative uses artificial intelligence to predict whether a Marine recruit will complete their full term and, more importantly, pinpoint the factors that might get in the way of that goal, said the AI lead for the U.S. Marine Corps. #AI #USMC #recruiting #retention

The Pentagon is investing half a billion dollars to research medical issues that disproportionately affect women in military service, officials said Monday. The program will fund $500 million in Pentagon research on topics like rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue, eating disorders, and gynecological cancers. The policy goes into effect Oct. 1 and will apply to research applications submitted for topics that are directed by Congress. #DoD #womenshealth

Kongsberg Discovery, a division of Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, has achieved a significant milestone with the HUGIN Endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). As noted by the company, the 8-ton, 40-foot AUV successfully completed a multi-week, fully autonomous mission, showcasing its ability to operate without human intervention or external navigation aids. The mission, which spanned depths between 50 and 3,400 meters, tested the HUGIN Endurance’s capabilities under real-world conditions. After receiving its final navigation update 10 hours into the dive from a pre-deployed transponder, the vehicle continued its journey autonomously, covering a total distance of 1,200 nautical miles. Most impressively, the AUV returned with a position error of just 0.02% of the total distance traveled, validating its precise navigation and operational endurance. #UUV #autonomy #AUV #maritime

We're thrilled to add Michael Sullivan to our team as a Hiring Our Heroes fellow! "Sully" strengthens our team thanks to his experience leading innovation at RAF Lakenheath. He's an accomplished, certified change management expert with deep ties in the Air Force and Space Force's emerging tech ecosystems. He'll be starting a PhD program soon and has a few more personal updates on the roadmap we can't wait to share. Huge thanks to Anne B. and the Hiring our Heroes team for facilitating this #Skillbridge hire. Welcome to The Collective! United States Air Force United States Space Force #veteran #transition #hiring

Excited for the DIA team to start working with Air Combat Command to use real-time cortisol sensing to help pilots monitor, manage and optimize their cognitive and physical performance!

We can't wait for #FedSupernova next week in #Austin! We are especially looking forward to our evening reception on the 20th with SVB and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. Ian Eishen Packy Hill J.R. Mullis Arturo Y. D Patrick Johnson Nick Mider Caitlin Cloud #Startups #VentureCapital #CapitalFactory #DefenseInnovation #DefenseTech #FSN #VC

Old Friends & Old Fashioneds 🥃 Capital Factory • United States Department of Defense

The move comes at a time of rising tensions in the South China Sea. “We can see that new convergence right here. The United States, the Philippines, and our other allies and partners are operating together more patiently and capably than ever, and we're working together to ensure a free and open region.” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Philippines this week to officially announce a $500 million package to help the Philippine military build its maritime capabilities, specifically intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to better track and control threats in its waters. A big portion of the $500 million in foreign military financing will go to helping the Philippine navy bolster its maritime capabilities. Specifically, the money will buy more unmanned systems and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for maritime domain awareness, to help the country stay ahead of the wide variety of threats China might pose, from rogue ax-wielding coast guard elements to militia fishing vessels, and beyond, defense officials told Defense One. #Indopacific #ISR #maritimedomainawareness #MDA #martime