【U.S. Military "Hellscapes" Plan Faces Setbacks】
According to the Wall Street Journal, two years ago, the Pentagon launched a "Replicator" program aimed at preparing for a conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The core military concept of this program is to develop and deploy thousands of advanced drones and unmanned surface vessels to counter the People's Liberation Army's "area denial" strategy. The set goal of the program was to deliver thousands of unmanned weapons by August 2025. The Indo-Pacific Command also referred to this program as "Hellscapes." The proposer of this program was Hicks, the Deputy Secretary of Defense during the Biden administration. In a recent email, she stated that when she left in January, the program had entered a "successful track," but recently, sources within the Pentagon have revealed that this plan has faced serious setbacks.
According to the sources, the weapons under the "Replicator" program have problems such as unreliability, high costs, and slow production speed, which have prevented the Pentagon from purchasing them in large quantities. In addition, the Pentagon has been trying to find software that can successfully control these large numbers of unmanned weapons, as these drones are manufactured by different companies. The Pentagon hopes they can work together to find and hit targets, and this is also the key to achieving the vision of the "Replicator" program. However, so far, this has not been achieved.
The program is currently facing setbacks and stagnation. Some people inside the Pentagon have pointed the finger at the military, claiming that they forced the purchase of systems that were not yet ready for use. Others believe that the "Hellscapes" plan is tight on time and heavy on tasks, and these are just normal setbacks. However, the plan is indeed facing significant difficulties right now.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1844497393263816/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.