Replicator Updates from AUVSI: November 1, 2024

Welcome back to AUVSI’s biweekly newsletter to keep the uncrewed and autonomous systems industries updated on DOD’s Replicator initiative.

Replicator’s Demand Signal to Industry

Saronic unveils latest, largest unmanned vessel, with eye on mass production Breaking Defense

• What’s new: Saronic Technologies —an AUVSI Maritime Advocacy member—recently launched its newest autonomous surface vessel, dubbed Corsair, the company’s third and largest unmanned maritime asset aimed at satisfying the Pentagon’s desire for expendable drones produced en masse.
• Replicator tie-in: The defense tech startup is focused on developing and manufacturing unmanned surface vessels in large quantities for Replicator. “The thing that matters to the Navy … is scale. The first thing that matters is, can you manufacture these at scale in very, very large quantities?” said CEO Dino Mavrookas .

AeroVironment pitches Army drone for quick battlefield changes Defense News

• What’s new: AeroVironment has developed an autonomous UAS that users can rapidly convert from a reconnaissance unit to a strike drone.
• Replicator tie-in: The Army plans to field more than 1,000 Switchblades as part of Replicator. Ukraine has used the Switchblade 300 and the Switchblade 600 to great effect.

SkyfireAI: Integrating AI and UAS for Public Safety and Defense Inside Unmanned Systems

• What they’re saying: “There’s a democratization of the technology, seen in the efforts around Replicator, for example, the DIU. That model that you’re starting to see emerge of a scrappier procurement methodology and more of an emphasis on public private partnership, I think it’s going to enable companies like us to have greater access to serving these mission needs. And I think it’s going to characterize more of how this gets done going forward than the big procurement programs of the past,” said Skyfire | AI CEO Don Mathis .

AUVSI Research on Uncrewed Maritime Systems

• Our exclusive data: Shown above, our Federal Defense Spending Report for Uncrewed Systems data shows recent U.S. Navy procurement trends specific to uncrewed surface maritime vehicles.
• The bottom line: Historically, Navy spending specific to the procurement of uncrewed surface maritime vessels has been in the LCS MCM Mission Modules program.
• By the numbers: Funding for the MCM USV was around $83 million in FY21, was cut completely in FY22, and resumed in FY23 at approximately $38 million. Additionally, funding for the AN/AQS-20C mine-hunting sonar (funded under the Remote Minehunting Module) increased significantly with the FY 2025 request relative to the previous three years.

News We’re Reading

Future of US defense depends on culture shift prioritizing innovation Defense News

• From the Hill: Bipartisan leaders of the House Armed Services Committee write about how DOD’s slow and costly acquisition process remains focused on processes and rigid requirements, rather than fielding capabilities and achieving results. They also acknowledge that Congress’s tendency toward CRs creates barriers to DOD agility and innovation.
• Change needed: Current efforts, including Replicator, show promise in accelerating acquisition and development for certain capabilities.

Scaling Autonomy for U.S. Defense – Time to Act Inside Unmanned Systems

• Our call for action: AUVSI President & CEO Michael Robbins writes about how DOD should evolve Replicator into an acquisition process that accelerates the deployment of uncrewed systems to warfighters.
• Looking ahead: “We are hopeful Replicator will set a new standard way of doing business within DOD and evolve into an agile acquisition process that accelerates capabilities to the warfighter and significantly alters our adversaries’ aggression calculus.”

DOD releases industrial plan Defense One

• What’s new: This week, the implementation plan for the Pentagon’s defense-industrial strategy was rolled out on Tuesday. The Pentagon asked for $37.7 billion in 2025 to support the strategy, with $500 million for Replicator.
• Yes, but: DOD has warned that if Congress fails to pass the 2025 appropriations bills before the CR expires in December, it will create challenges for procurement and planning.

DOD to ‘complement’ Replicator initiative by accelerating solid rocket motor production Defense Scoop

• What’s new: The NDIS implementation plan calls for boosting production of solid rocket motors as a “complement” to Replicator, identifying that the U.S. defense industrial base does not currently have capacity of SRMs to support ongoing engagements worldwide.
• What’s next: DOD intends to commission various projects, studies, and white paper reviews to identify vendors who can accelerate solid rocket motor production.

Battles of Precise Mass Foreign Affairs

• The big picture: Standing still means falling behind, writes Michael C. Horowitz. Policymakers in Washington should be alarmed by China’s ability to produce systems far more rapidly than the United States can today.
• Cutting edge: The most prominent U.S. military investment in precise mass is Replicator, with the first area of empahsis in scaling ADA2. Through Replicator, DOD has made progress in developing capability in less than a year that would generally take multiple years to complete.

Introducing StreamCaster LITE 5200 OEM Module from Silvus Technologies

The Power to Perform: Delivering powerful MANET radio performance for today’s leading-edge unmanned systems, the SL5200 unifies C2, sensor and telemetry data with communications relay capabilities in one streamlined OEM module.

Learn more.

AUVSI's Defense Advocacy Committee advances policies and funding for uncrewed and autonomous systems in the Department of Defense, ensuring the U.S. remains at the forefront of autonomous defense technologies.