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Pentagon’s Replicator swarm program will require constant innovation by drone makers

Pentagon drone Replicator

A couple of fairly clear elements have arisen about the Pentagon’s otherwise secretive future UAV plans. The first is it intends to initially invest $1 billion in its expendable swarm program known as Replicator, with the second being participating drone makers had better be in permanent revision mode to be to produce continuously upgraded craft. 

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DARPA’s POWER project to use drones as energy relay stations

DARPA power drones

The highly geeked out unit of the U.S. Department of Defense has issued a $10 million contract to develop its long contemplated Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay system (POWER), which will likely use drones as airborne platforms to conduct electric refueling for other vehicles – or for re-juicing their own batteries.

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Department of Defense to pick Replicator drones by mid-December

Department Defense Replicator drones

Drone companies with working ties to the US Department of Defense should find out by mid-December if their craft are among those selected for the first developmental tranche of the Pentagon’s Replicator program, which looks to match the enormous weapons systems of countries like China and Russia with the power-in-numbers might of swarms of smaller UAVs.

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Pentagon’s counter-China ‘Replicator’ plan may be boon to smaller drone producers

Pentagon Replicator drone

Producers of specialized drones or craft with effective tech adaptable to defense purposes may be in for a boost in activity under the Pentagon’s new “Replicator” initiative, which seeks to supplement the traditionally huge, multi-year US defense programs by creating an array of fast, responsive “attritable autonomous systems” – with an anticipated emphasis on quickly manufactured UAVs.

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Pentagon’s DARPA seeks massive drone swarms to swamp enemy defense bubbles

Department Defense Replicator drones

If the war in Ukraine has taught the world anything, it’s that UAVs have proven their utility in waging war today, and demonstrated their promise for larger deployment in future conflicts. And that evolution doubtless explains why the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is now endeavoring to create super swarms of drones capable of overwhelming enemy defense systems, and attacking targets they identify once past those.

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ELTA NA delivers counter-drone tech to the U.S. DoD and DHS

ELTA counter-drone U.S. DOD DHS

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have taken up mobile counter-drone technology orders. The two government departments have turned to North American counter-drone company ELTA to address the U.S.’s need to be able to put up a fight against aerial attacks such as drone swarms.

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French drone maker Parrot to develop drone for US Army

French drone maker Parrot selected to develop drone for US Army

French drone maker, Parrot has been selected by the Department of Defense as one of six companies to help develop a short-range reconnaissance drone for the US Army. The development of small commercial drones for the battlefield is t result of a partnership between the U.S. Army Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Aviation’s Project Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence. DJI is not among the other selected companies. The ongoing US-China trade war, which caused price increases for DJI products, and fears of Chinese companies such as Huawei and DJI potentially spying on behalf of the Chinese government have suddenly created new opportunities for American and Western European companies, such as Parrot.


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New Pentagon contract worth $800 million focuses on underwater drone technology

New Pentagon contract worth $800 million focuses on underwater drone technology

On July 30th the Defense Department awarded a contract worth nearly $800 million towards the research and development of unmanned underwater drones. In its 2019 fiscal year budget, the DoD allotted $9.6 billion to unmanned systems. According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, this is a 28% increase from the previous year which solidifies the department’s interest in unmanned systems is growing. The Pentagon has selected 23 different companies to share the contract with expected completion by July of 2023, just 5 years from now.


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