The Pentagon has reportedly named a new initiative to accelerate a lagging artificial intelligence weapons program.
The Defense Autonomous Warfare Group is tasked with picking up the efforts started under the Biden administration with plans to rapidly deploy thousands of AI-powered drones to prepare for potential global conflicts, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The Pentagon’s AI drone push has fallen short of expectations and DAWG is taking over development and deployment under the U.S. Special Operations Command and has less than two years to deliver, according to the Journal.
“We wanted to fill gaps and create a more competitive marketplace,” Aditi Kumar, former principal deputy director of the innovation unit, told the news outlet. “Let’s scale what’s scalable, and then let’s find other technology that might be promising.
“I think the transition to [Special Operations Command] is natural at this point.”
Launched in 2023 as the Replicator program, the initiative was meant to deliver thousands of air-, land-, and sea-based autonomous systems by August 2025. But the program has faced repeated setbacks — including software failures, unreliable hardware, and manufacturing delays — and has struggled to integrate drones from multiple companies into coordinated missions, sources told the Journal.
The shift reflects growing urgency as defense officials warn China could attempt to seize Taiwan as early as 2027.
Some of the drones acquired under Replicator were unfinished or still conceptual when selected, while others — like BlackSea Technologies’ GARC boats — were ill-suited for long-range missions. The widely purchased Switchblade 600 loitering munition has also struggled under electronic warfare conditions and costs roughly $100,000 per unit, far more than smaller drones used in Ukraine’s war.
“There were very, very good things that happened from Replicator,” Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey told the Journal. “Could it have been done better? Could it have been more clear about what exactly they were doing?
“Yes, of course. But big picture, I don’t think it was that bad.”
In field exercises, software frequently failed to identify targets or coordinate fleets of autonomous vehicles. One unmanned boat lost control due to a rudder malfunction, and a drone launch was delayed over equipment issues. A Pentagon analysis also found that many systems would be vulnerable if GPS and communications were jammed — a likely scenario in a Pacific conflict.
The shift to DAWG gives the new unit less than two years to deliver a reliable fleet of autonomous weapons, which U.S. officials say could overwhelm enemy defenses, expand the battlefield, and reduce the risk to American troops.
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