The head of the Defense Innovation Unit spoke today about the importance of consistently repeating the Replicator initiative as planning work has begun on the second tranche of weapon systems. Doug Beck said the Replicator initiative has two focuses: fielding attritable autonomous weapon systems by August 2025 to counter the challenge posed by China and creating a repeatable process that the Defense Department can use again multiple times in the future. “But it’s also critically about a second objective, which...

As the military moves to maximize interoperability to prepare for a potential fight with a near-peer adversary, the services and industry need to "adapt together," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Tuesday. “I think technology is allowing us, if we’re willing to bureaucratically adapt to it, it’s allowing us to shift the incentive structure,” Allvin said during a panel discussion at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington. “We want to incentivize industry in a way...

The Defense Department sent a report to Congress and U.S. governors detailing why it wants to transition Air National Guard space missions into the Space Force, while governors and the National Guard Association of the United States continue to push against the proposal. The report , obtained Monday by Inside Defense , lays out the three options for space missions within the Air National Guard -- maintaining them within the Air National Guard, transferring them to the Space Force or...

Lockheed Martin and Maxar Intelligence on Monday entered a contract to better integrate several of Maxar's 2D and 3D products into a digital cockpit intended to replicate the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to a company announcement. The long-term agreement will “streamline the procurement and delivery of Maxar’s geospatial products for the F-35 Full Mission Simulator flight simulation and training system,” Maxar said. The deal “establishes standardized pricing, licensing and requirements for several Maxar products, including Dynamic basemaps and Precision3D,...