The Pentagon has chosen an undisclosed number of systems to be included in the second tranche of the Replicator program, but will remain tight-lipped about specifics for the foreseeable future, according to the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
Doug Beck, director of the DIU, revealed that over 500 companies have expressed interest in participating in the Replicator initiative through proposal submissions. He mentioned that the innovation hub has selected a number of systems to be part of the program’s second tranche, although the exact details have not been disclosed.
“We now have two tranches of systems across various domains,” Beck stated at the National Defense Industrial Association conference on Thursday. He added that the DIU has “already selected some systems,” but that “other components are still being finalized.”
Beck further noted that a total of 30 unique prime contractors have been selected in both the hardware and software sectors, with more than 50 subcontractors having signed on to the project.
While he did not reveal the names of the companies or the specific systems, Beck hinted at the diversity of the selected firms. He stated that among the manufacturers chosen are those creating PRIME sUSV systems, which refers to production-ready, inexpensive, maritime expeditionary small unmanned surface vehicles. He also pointed out that one involved company is a venture-backed startup, another is a growth-stage, software-led “nontraditional” company, and one is a “more established player.”
It has been nearly a year since the announcement of the Replicator program, which is designed to counter China’s military capabilities by producing thousands of “attritable autonomous systems” across multiple domains by August 2025. The initiative has attracted considerable attention from both the industry and Congress, along with skepticism regarding its legitimacy and whether it simply consolidates existing procurement plans.
With only a year remaining until the program’s scheduled rollout, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assured the audience at the NDIA conference on Wednesday that progress is being made.
“Although there is much more work to be done, we are on track to meet Replicator’s original goal of enabling ‘multiple thousands in multiple domains in 18-24 months,’ by the end of August 2025. In doing so, Replicator is demonstrating how to deliver various capabilities swiftly and at scale throughout the enterprise,” Hicks stated.
