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Air Force Applauds the DoD’s Latest Replicator Selections

More Anduril capabilities are selected as part of the attritable effort.

The U.S. Department of Defense will rely on the U.S. Air Force's Enterprise Test Vehicle to be part of its Replicator effort. Credit: ETV rendering courtesy of Integrated Solutions for Systems

U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife applauded Wednesday the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) latest steps in developing autonomous vehicle and software capabilities under the Replicator effort.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced Wednesday the selection of the Air Force's Enterprise Test Vehicle (ETV) to be a part of the Replicator program’s second tranche effort, according to a DoD release.

In addition to the ETV, Hicks selected other technologies for the Replicator-1, Tranche 2 (1.2) effort, including Anduril Industries’ Ghost-X unmanned aerial system (UAS) and Performance Drone Works’ C100 UAS for Army, company-level needs.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps Organic Precision Fires program will rely on Anduril’s Altius-600, in addition to AeroVironment Inc.’s Switchblade 600 loitering munition that Hicks selected in May under the first Replicator trance effort.

"The ETV's modular design and open system architecture make it an ideal platform for program offices to test out new capabilities at the sub-system level, reducing risk and demonstrating various options for weapon employment," Slife said. "We are excited to be a part of Replicator 1.2 and to increase the speed of the ETV effort."

The Air Force was already working with four vendors to develop ETV prototypes: Anduril Industries, Integrated Solutions for Systems Inc., Leidos Dynetics and Zone 5 Technologies.

And the DoD explained that it would have the Air Force and the Defense Innovation Unit work with vendors to develop and demonstrate design variants of the ETV needed for joint purposes.

Hicks first announced the Replicator effort in 2023 as a way to rapidly field all-domain attritable autonomous capabilities, also known as ADA2 systems. The goal is to field “thousands” by August of 2025, which would be within 24 months of Hicks launching the initiative.

The military wants to quickly add these “rapidly reconfigurable, attritable, modular payload capabilities to execute reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition missions” and meet other needs for the military to succeed in a near-peer environment.

Replicator 1.2 also includes additional systems that remain classified, including low-cost, long-range strike capabilities and maritime uncrewed systems, the department stated.

“Select ETV prototypes will be accelerated to scaled production,” according to the release.