The Army nominated three candidate systems for the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative to field several thousand autonomous, attritable assets in the next two years to counter China, the service’s acquisition chief has said.

Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, provided the update as the Pentagon nears an imminent announcement on initial Replicator contenders.

The Honorable Douglas R. Bush, assistant secretary of the army for acquisition, logistics and technology, is guided by Col. J. Frederick Dente, V Corps chief of staff, during a visit to Camp Kościuszko, Poland, Sep. 8, 2022. Photo: Spc. Dean Johnson 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

“We’ll see what happens. I think we’ll get at least one. I’m optimistic,” Bush said during a Defense One discussion on Dec. 7. “[These are] things that we already have accounted for that have a hot production lines, because one of the focuses of Replicator was speed to production and scale.”

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks first announced the Replicator initiative in late August, which she said aims “to help us overcome [China’s] biggest advantage, which is mass” (Defense Daily, Aug. 28). 

Bush declined to specify the Army capabilities nominated for Replicator, while confirming they’re unmanned systems that are “bigger than a quadcopter but smaller than a MQ-1 [Predator drone].”

“So there’s a range. In all three cases, they’re things that exist that are in production rather than things that require [research and development],” Bush said.

Hicks has previously confirmed Replicator won’t require new funding and that the department was now seeking out existing autonomous, attritable drone programs that could be scaled up for production (Defense Daily, Sept. 6).

Last month, Hicks told reporters the Pentagon is set to pick Replicator contenders in the next three weeks and DoD estimates a unit cost in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars for the initiative (Defense Daily, Nov. 21). 

“I would not say the candidates will be announced…Our goal is an operational goal, which is, in addition to [shortening] the acquisition cycle, to create dilemmas for China and any other competitor who might look at this approach and try to undermine it. 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 accelerated through Replicator is to be determined,” Hicks told a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, D.C., at the time.

Bush said the initiative aligns with new Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George’s priority “to go faster on unmanned capability.”

“That pairs perfectly with what Replicator is trying to do. And, hopefully, this will also just help us move more quickly,” Bush said.