Defense Innovation Unit Deputy Director Aditi Kumar has shared that the Department of Defense tech hub is interested in branching outside the Pentagon’s usual collaborators for its Replicator initiative.
Replicator was announced in the final months of 2023 as an accelerated effort to produce a fleet of autonomous tools in the span of about two years. The DOD hopes to field thousands of attritable and resilient systems that function across multiple domains.
Kumar will be bringing her expertise to offer more insight on Replicator opportunities at Potomac Officers Club’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit. This Jan. 31st event will feature Kumar as a keynote speaker, alongside a host of other notable participants, like Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu. Register here now — limited seats remain.
“And this is where we’re looking at … leveraging our solicitation process to bring in new entrants and you will see that process play out here in the next few months as we go out to industry and to try to plug those gaps … in an effort to deliver an entire…portfolio,” explained Kumar.
The DOD and DIU have spent the first few months of the undertaking identifying selection criteria for the first wave, or tranche, of targeted systems. Then, throughout this year, the aforementioned “new entrant” companies will be pursued for subsequent tranches to help “fill the gaps” that the first tranche didn’t cover.
The project is seen as something of a test for DIU — if it’s able to actualize thousands of systems over the course of a couple of years, it will gain an extra level of legitimization, according to Ret. Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote, former deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration and requirements at the Air Force.
It’s also thought to be a boon for technology companies and, according to think tank representatives, a vote of confidence for the investors interested in backing such companies. If the DOD is willing to work with these companies on Replicator, that means they’re all the more viable and worth supporting in the long-term, the thinking goes.
For companies interested in staying updated on the DOD’s plans and intentions for Replicator, stay tuned for an announcement of a summit, which Kumar says will occur in “early 2024.” This conference will debrief interested parties on essential information regarding the project and “build some of the common architecture pieces and other enabling pieces to deliver a capability that over the long term the department can benefit from,” Kumar said.
If you can’t wait until the date is set for that gathering, register to hear Kumar speak at the Potomac Officers Club’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit, which is just a few weeks away — Jan. 31. Not only will participants hear about Replicator, they will gain a wide range of insights from defense sector leaders like Under Secretary Shyu, Strategic Capabilities Office Director Jay Dryer, Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director for National Security Stephen Welby and many more. It’s a packed day full of panels, networking and dynamic discussion. Don’t miss out!
