Rapid drone development and specialized units
This emphasis on rapid deployment reflects the situation’s urgency and the perceived need to counter China’s growing military power.
“It’s a lot of taking… a pretty wide and diverse set of systems and a wide and diverse set of software, and smashing them all together at a pace that is really more akin to commercial software tempos,” added Campbell.
The Pentagon has already allocated approximately $1 billion to fund the initial phase of Replicator.
The Navy has also established specialized units to operate and maintain these new drone systems.
One such unit, Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 3, known as the “Hell Hounds,” recently received its first four Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Crafts (GARC).
While the specifics of their missions remain classified, these vessels are expected to play a crucial role in the Replicator network.