Pentagon IG moves to assess high-stakes Replicator initiative

As U.S. military personnel hustle to deploy heaps of autonomous drone systems across multiple domains by August 2025 to counter China — via Replicator — the Pentagon’s top watchdog is initiating a new evaluation to comprehensively assess that high-stakes initiative.

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General issued a memorandum Monday to multiple military and civilian components solidifying its official plans for the new review.

“During the evaluation, our focus will be to determine the effectiveness with which the Services and Defense Innovation Unit selected capabilities for the Replicator Initiative to meet the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s operational needs,” an OIG spokesperson told DefenseScoop in an email shortly after the memo’s release.

“It was a self-generated project, based on our ongoing analysis of DOD operations and programs,” the spokesperson said.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks first launched Replicator late last summer, billing it as a strategic move to confront China’s massive, ongoing military buildup by accelerating the adoption of “attritable autonomous systems” in multiple combat domains — through replicable processes — within 18 to 24 months.

DOD leadership and insiders have been expressly tight-lipped about the ambitious effort since its inception, frequently citing security concerns. But so far, Pentagon officials have secured roughly $500 million from Congress for fiscal 2024 to move forward with tranche one, and they are requesting an additional $500 million for fiscal 2025.

In April, DefenseScoop reported that the department’s first tranche choices for Replicator systems include kamikaze drones, unmanned surface vessels and counter-drone systems.

Although the initial aim of the OIG’s evaluation is to “determine the effectiveness” with which the services and DIU picked capabilities that can meet the demands of Indo-Pacom’s operational needs, the memo states that the watchdog may revise or expand the objective of this Replicator assessment as officials proceed.

“As with all Inspector General reviews, we intend to cooperate fully and with expediency to support the Office of the Inspector General’s important work to ensure full accountability for the American taxpayer,” Pentagon spokesman and Hick’s public affairs advisor Eric Pahon told DefenseScoop in an email Monday.