September 07, 2023
For Replicator to Work, the Pentagon Needs to Directly Help with Production
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks last week announced a new initiative called Replicator, intended to deliver thousands of low-cost attritable autonomous systems across multiple domains over the next 18 to 24 months. This is a laudable concept that builds on emerging lessons from Ukraine to focus on conflict in the Indo-Pacific, and at least on paper, could catalyze the burgeoning defense innovation ecosystem.
Today’s innovation ecosystem alone cannot achieve the necessary production scale, especially for the less commercially viable classes of systems relevant in the Indo-Pacific.
However, the unique operational requirements of the Indo-Pacific and the inherent challenges of achieving the desired production scale are real challenges that Replicator will have to deal with — and there simply aren’t many options available that fit both those targets. Ultimately, for an effort like Replicator to succeed, the Defense Department should seek to invest in new government-owned production facilities, not simply the systems themselves.
Read the full article and more from Breaking Defense.
More from CNAS
-
CNAS Insights | Can the United States Sustain Its War Against Iran?
CNAS Insights
Last week, the Trump administration hosted U.S. defense companies at the White House for a discussion on defense production. At the center of ongoing operations are questions ...
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Philip Sheers
-
Stuck in the Cul-de-Sac
Reports
For more than a decade, the United States has sought to modernize its military to deter China, but it has become stuck in a developmental cul-de-sac that has allowed China to ...
By Carlton Haelig & Philip Sheers
-
From Production Lines to Front Lines
Reports
Executive Summary The U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is struggling to meet the demands of the current strategic environment—let alone prepare for a potential conflict agai...
By Becca Wasser & Philip Sheers
-
Build a High-Low Mix to Enhance America’s Warfighting Edge and Deter China
Commentary
The Trump administration can take immediate actions to improve U.S. military capability, capacity, and warfighting to deter China and reverse negative trends in military power...
By Stacie Pettyjohn, Carlton Haelig, Becca Wasser & Josh Wallin
