U.S. Military's Replicator Initiative Aims to Rapidly Field Swarms of Cheaper Drones to Counter China

The Replicator initiative aims to accelerate development of attritable autonomous systems like swarms of drones for the U.S. military.
The goal is to rapidly field large numbers of cheaper systems rather than fewer expensive platforms.
This approach is meant to counter China's advantage in mass and numbers.
Challenges include developing long-range drones and changing military culture and bureaucracy.
If successful, Replicator could fundamentally shift how the U.S. practices deterrence and warfighting.

newyorker.com

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8/30/2023

The Pentagon Is Accelerating AI and Autonomous Technology - Decrypt

The U.S. military has announced its Replicator initiative, aiming to deploy thousands of low-cost, autonomous systems within the next 18 to 24 months to counter the growing military capabilities of China and other countries. Additionally, the military has unveiled an AI-enabled airspace monitoring system in Washington D.C. that promises improved threat detection capabilities.