Deputy Defense Secretary nominee Stephen Feinberg told lawmakers he plans “to review the value” of the Pentagon’s ongoing Replicator initiative to get after fielding emerging technologies rapidly at scale.
In written responses to the Senate Armed Services Committee, billionaire investor Feinberg didn’t state any specific plans related to the future of Replicator, which is currently focused on delivering thousands of attritable autonomous systems and counter-drone systems, while adding the department must “do more” to get after innovation.
“The department must do more to deliver capabilities for warfighters, at scale, on the most critical operational problems,” Feinberg wrote. “Both of these operational problems remain pressing challenges and, if confirmed, I will continue to ensure the department focuses on delivering innovative capabilities to warfighters in line with the Secretary’s priorities of rebuilding our military and reestablishing deterrence.”
Former Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks launched the Replicator initiative in August 2023, with the initial effort focused on producing and fielding thousands of all-domain attritable autonomous systems (ADA2) by August 2025 “to help us overcome [China’s] biggest advantage, which is mass” (Defense Daily, Aug. 28 2023).
The Pentagon this past September then announced it will focus on counter-drone technology for the subsequent “Replicator 2.0” effort, with a similar 18-24 month fielding timeline (Defense Daily, Sept. 30, 2024).
SASC asked Feinberg to provide a response as to whether a process like Replicator is required for DoD to address “the most pressing investment areas” or whether the department could sufficiently address urgent technology needs utilizing existing acquisition and management processes.
“It is my understanding the Replicator program tailors the rapid acquisition pathway to ensure rapid acquisition and deployment for items urgently needed to react to an enemy threat or respond to significant and urgent safety situations. I believe the Department must utilize all of the authorities available to acquire capabilities to meet the most pressing and urgent needs, to include the capabilities being accelerated through Replicator,” Feinberg wrote.
Feinberg is the co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, which has invested in a portfolio of defense contractors. He also served as chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board during Trump’s first term.
During his confirmation hearing, Feinberg said DoD should consider simplifying program requirements to spur more companies to work with the department, including large, non-defense U.S. manufacturers (Defense Daily, Feb. 25).
“I think we need to bring in more companies,” Feinberg said. “If we were to call up General Motors [GM] or Ford [F] and say, ‘We need you in our defense base.’ Find ways under OTA [Other Transaction Authorities] or sole-source where we can give new companies, especially the ones that scale and can operate. So much is talked about venture [capital]. Far more important, in my opinion, is scale and operations of our larger businesses.”