Dear B.’s Post

U.S. military components received and have been operating all-domain attributable autonomous (ADA2) systems in real-time via the Replicator initiative in a number of locations “around the world,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said Wednesday. The Defense Department’s No. 2 official first unveiled Replicator about a year ago, then billing it as a strategic pursuit to address China’s massive, ongoing military buildup. The overarching vision is to accelerate industrial production and DOD’s adoption of such systems in multiple combat domains — through replicable processes — by mid-2025. https://lnkd.in/eDjZy-uw

U.S. military components received and have been operating all-domain attributable autonomous (ADA2) systems in real-time via the Replicator initiative in a number of locations “around the world,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said Wednesday. The Defense Department’s No. 2 official first unveiled Replicator about a year ago, then billing it as a strategic pursuit to address China’s massive, ongoing military buildup. The overarching vision is to accelerate industrial production and DOD’s adoption of such systems in multiple combat domains — through replicable processes — by mid-2025. https://lnkd.in/eRxvJnqW

I'm a fan of 6th Gen development, but not at the expense of everything that is proven already to work. Here is what I know: 1. The DoD's fighters represent anemic range across the board. The only exception (partially) is the F-15E(X) with conformal tanks. That needs to be fixed to even play in the Pacific. 2. Exquisite stealth is not needed in every tactical/operational scenario, but continued development of of tech is important. 3. The AF is slowly starting to make admissions that old school Air Dominance (traditional force on force aircraft and air defenses) don't cover the spectrum of what really amounts to Air Dominance. 4. Not every solution has to be high end. 5. Mass matters. Affordable/effective mass is the holy grail. That is NOT NGAD, or the F-35, or CCAs. 6. SECAF's sales pitch to Congress a few years ago about the need for NGAD and how expensive it was indicated wishful thinking and a lack of tactical /operational prowess. Everyone in DoD aerospace except for those getting paid at the time saw that failure coming from miles away. 7. The DoD's mass problem because of our worldwide commitments is a magnitude different than any other nation. What I don't know: - I don't know what is behind the green door. I have spent long enough in Defense aviation to make informed guesses. Maybe there is a unicorn I don't know about. - What the DoD's overall strategy is beyond what is published in open source. - How they plan to solve the mass problem while they continue to cut force structure. #usaf #dod #ngad

Lots of good points here. I’ll add on with my own thoughts: 1. Super Hornet with CFTs would be beneficial to the USAF for pacific ops (among others). Boeing can make this happen. Testing has already been done. CFTs were not selected by the USN due to some issues with carrier ops. 2. Super Hornet production lasts until 2027 sometime, at which point it ends unless something changes. 3. ~700 Super Hornets have been built. Behind the F-16, it’s the most numerous and successful fighter platform the US has ever had. 4. Super Hornet carries SM-6… 5. Super Hornet can land on short fields and highways and can launch from a variety of options not viable for jets with less robust landing gear. Speaking of mass…the supply chain for Super Hornet (much like the F-16) is GLOBAL. We have allies all over the globe who fly it. The Super Hornet and our ability to produce it is a strategic imperative. The pause in NGAD buys provides an opportunity to buy some proven aircraft that are improving with time and upgrades. Block 3 Super Hornet is one of those. Let’s buy more of them, keep the line open, and spread its capabilities to the USAF.

U.S. military components received and have been operating all-domain attributable autonomous (ADA2) systems in real-time via the Replicator initiative in a number of locations “around the world,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said Wednesday. The Defense Department’s No. 2 official first unveiled Replicator about a year ago, then billing it as a strategic pursuit to address China’s massive, ongoing military buildup. The overarching vision is to accelerate industrial production and DOD’s adoption of such systems in multiple combat domains — through replicable processes — by mid-2025. https://lnkd.in/eGut2X7p

"Through the use of open architectures and new technologies such as digital beamforming, resources can be efficiently shared among several different helicopter systems." - Jason Wilden, Cubic Defense Technical Fellow   Read more in Military Embedded Systems guest blog about Cubic's Secure Communications and how the adoption of consolidated avionics is revolutionizing helicopter operations: https://lnkd.in/eJUWsFT2

UEI plays a crucial role in the capabilities of military vehicles by supporting Ground Combat Systems Common Infrastructure (GCIA). At its core, GCIA offers a standardized and modular approach to integrating various subsystems and technologies into military vehicles. This architecture brings numerous benefits. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ecpkd33h #GroundCombat #MilitaryTechnology #ModularIntegration #SubsystemIntegration #DefenseTech

U.S. military components received and have been operating all-domain attributable autonomous (ADA2) systems in real-time via the Replicator initiative in a number of locations “around the world,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said Wednesday. The Defense Department’s No. 2 official first unveiled Replicator about a year ago, then billing it as a strategic pursuit to address China’s massive, ongoing military buildup. The overarching vision is to accelerate industrial production and DOD’s adoption of such systems in multiple combat domains — through replicable processes — by mid-2025. https://lnkd.in/eKnFCEGW

In the latest edition of Defense Acquisition magazine, learn how the intersection of speedy development, easily producible systems, and sustainment considerations can guarantee that our warfighters are ready to meet and win the Great Power Competition. Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/efKT8K2d David Riel

Rapid acquisition of weapon systems is making sustainment more challenging. Interesting article that showcases what Raytheon is going to be offering. It makes me wonder what acquisition contracts of the future will look like. How much technical data will a company release to the military maintenance provider if they are offer package deals for sustainment? Additionally, what transparency will the military system owner have with regard to obselesence issues? Will this process drive the acquisition and life-cycle timelines? Thought provoking...