Reference News Network, October 6 report - According to the Wall Street Journal website on September 26, insiders revealed that the U.S. Department of Defense's ambitious "Replicator" program has not met its expected goals, and the military is still exploring how to use some of these systems in real-world scenarios.

Insiders said the program was launched two years ago with the initial aim of accelerating the procurement of low-cost autonomous weapons to counter the growing military capabilities of other countries. However, due to concerns about the pace of progress, the program is now being transferred to a new agency for management.

This adjustment reflects that the "Replicator" program has not progressed smoothly. The "Replicator" program was a signature project of the Biden administration at the Pentagon, aiming to deploy thousands of air, land, and sea-based artificial intelligence systems by August 2025.

Insiders said that some systems within the "Replicator" program have reliability issues, while others are either too expensive or produced too slowly to meet procurement quantities. Additionally, the Pentagon has faced difficulties in finding software that can effectively control large numbers of drones - these drones, manufactured by different companies, need to work together to detect and strike targets. Therefore, software is key to achieving the "Replicator" program.

To accelerate the program's progress and focus on developing the most suitable weapons, the Pentagon has transferred the relevant work of the "Replicator" program to a new department under the Special Operations Command - the Defense Autonomy Warfare Group (DAWG).

The purpose of the "Replicator" program is to prepare for potential conflicts in the Pacific region. U.S. defense officials said that drones can help the United States expand its operational range, confuse enemies, break through defense systems, and strike targets without causing significant casualties or using expensive equipment.

Insiders said that DAWG now has less than two years to deliver the drones required by the Pentagon, with a tight schedule.

A defense official said that the "Replicator" program is currently overseen by Frank Donovan, the Deputy Commander of the Special Operations Command. In August, when Donovan took over the project, he attended an event held in California. This event was originally planned to showcase some of the advanced technologies already mastered by the "Replicator" program, but it accidentally exposed problems that these systems were not yet ready for formal deployment.

Insiders said that a remotely operated vessel made by Black Sea Technologies had a rudder failure and then went out of control; a drone from Anduril Industries experienced a suspected launch tube issue and delayed its launch; additionally, the software running on several unmanned vessels failed to identify or misidentified targets.

The Defense Innovation Unit, based in Silicon Valley, had been responsible for the "Replicator" program before August this year, and the organization's spokesperson has not responded to requests for comment. Regarding the exercise, some participants said that the exercise overall was successful, and that challenges and minor setbacks are normal and not necessarily defects of the project.

Insiders revealed that although the Defense Innovation Unit played an important role in promoting the military application of commercial technology, it still needs to deal with long-standing bureaucratic issues in the Department of Defense. For example, the person responsible for deciding which drones to procure in large quantities is a serving officer lacking relevant technical expertise; additionally, some technological platforms require significant improvements before they can operate autonomously.

According to insiders, among the dozens of autonomous systems procured for the "Replicator" program, three were either not completed or only in the conceptual stage when they were selected. Other insiders said that officials stated that the flaws of the "Replicator" program include the Defense Innovation Unit being ordered to procure outdated drones and not conducting rigorous testing of the platforms and software before procurement.

The U.S. Navy did not respond to requests for comment.

Technical integration also faces challenges. Insiders revealed that during an exercise last year in the Pacific region, drones from different manufacturers connected by Anduril's software often failed to coordinate tasks after going beyond the operator's line of sight.

However, those involved in the program said that the "Replicator" program was always intended to be handed over to the military, and in just two years, it has achieved significant accomplishments, such as promoting procurement and testing, advancing the development of new drone systems and autonomous technologies, and shortening traditional weapon procurement processes by several years. They said that this model is currently being used for other projects at the Pentagon. (Translated by Wang Dongdong)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557948579446096399/

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