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Army’s Switchblade-600 Loitering Munition Selected for Accelerated Fielding Under Replicator Program
The Department of Defense has achieved a major milestone in its effort to field thousands of autonomous drones, with the Army’s Switchblade-600 loitering munition being selected for accelerated fielding under the first tranche of the Replicator program. This announcement was made in a release by the DOD on Monday.
Doug Bush, the Army’s acquisition head, expressed his excitement about the selection of the Switchblade-600, noting that the Army is the biggest participant in the Replicator program in terms of quantity. Bush, a recipient of the prestigious Wash100 Award, highlighted the Army’s proposal of three more technologies for the program’s second tranche.
Since taking on his role as assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology in February 2022, Bush has been a vocal advocate for faster technological innovation. He emphasized the importance of acquisition at speed and the need to keep up with technology to address evolving threats.
The Replicator program aims to field thousands of all-domain attritable autonomous systems within two years to counter China. The first tranche includes various uncrewed surface vehicles, uncrewed aerial systems, and counter-uncrewed aerial systems from multiple vendors. The Switchblade drones, which have already proven their utility in Ukraine, are expected to enhance U.S. forces’ capabilities.
The Pentagon has secured $500 million in funding for the program in fiscal year 2024, with some parts of the first tranche remaining classified. This includes capabilities in the maritime domain and the counter-UAS portfolio.
The Replicator program is seen as a model for faster adoption of critical new technologies, with Bush expressing hope that it could pave the way for quicker implementation between appropriations bills. The upcoming 2024 Army Summit on June 13 will provide further insights into the Army’s modernization efforts and the progress of the Replicator program, with Doug Bush set to keynote the event.
