The Defense Innovation Unit has selected two batches of software developers to support Replicator, a Department of Defense project seeking to advance resilient command and control and collaborative autonomy solutions for all-domain attritable autonomous—a.k.a. ADA2—systems.
Tapped for critical roles in the initiative are Aalyria, Higher Ground, IoT/AI and Viasat, which will deliver opportunistic, resilient and innovative expeditionary network topology capabilities to enhance the resilience of C2 for ADA2 systems. Meanwhile, Anduril Industries, L3Harris Technologies and Swarm Aero will provide solutions to increase swarm drones’ lethality and efficiency under the autonomous collaborative teaming effort, DIU said Wednesday.
DOD Collaboration With the Nontraditional Tech Sector
DIU Director Doug Beck noted that the government is collaborating with companies outside the traditional defense industrial base to acquire commercial software solutions for the DOD modernization efforts.
“DIU is working actively with partners across the department to bring the very best capabilities from the U.S. tech sector to bear in support of our most critical warfighter needs,” he remarked.
Improve Replicator Systems’ Effectiveness
The selected vendors will provide user interfaces, collaborative autonomy architectures and software, and network orchestration to enhance the effectiveness of Replicator systems. The technology will enable the ADA2 systems to link long-haul communications systems to redundant local mesh networks to ensure they can operate as a system of systems in disrupted environments. The combined platforms will then support “heterogeneous collaboration” between various Replicator systems and advance the Pentagon’s increasing embrace of collaborative autonomy.
Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a Wash100 Award recipient, stressed that Replicator accelerates the development of U.S. autonomous systems.
Currently, the Replicator initiative prioritizes the delivery of advanced capabilities to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command forces but the solutions are designed to eventually support the entire joint force.
