In a bid to counter China’s numerical advantage in any potential conflict, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) plans to deploy a vast array of cheap, unmanned drones across multiple domains—air, sea, and land.
This initiative, dubbed “Replicator,” aims to create thousands of drones within the next two years, a move that is expected to significantly alter the strategic landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks underscored the importance of mass production of affordable drones during her remarks at the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) conference in Washington, D.C.
“These drones can be produced close to the battlefield at a fraction of the cost of traditional weapons systems,” Hicks noted. This approach mirrors the effective use of drones by Ukraine against Russian forces.
The drones are designed to function autonomously, even in environments with limited or disrupted communication bandwidths, empowering lower echelons to innovate and succeed independently on the battlefield.
Admiral John Aquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), revealed the scale of the challenge and the response required. “Here’s a metric for me: 1,000 targets for 24 hours,” he said, pointing to the vast number of potential targets that would need to be addressed across the expansive Pacific theatre. To achieve this, INDOPACOM has been collaborating with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Assault Breaker II programme, which focuses on rapidly integrating targeting data across the theatre.
Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, articulated a more specific and aggressive vision for the drones’ application, particularly in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-La Dialogue Summit, Paparo detailed a plan to transform the Taiwan Strait into an “unmanned hellscape” using a range of classified capabilities.
“I can make their lives utterly miserable for a month, which buys me the time for the rest of everything,” Paparo asserted. This strategy involves deploying thousands of unmanned systems, including surface vessels, submarines, and aerial drones, to engage Chinese forces as soon as they begin their crossing.
This first line of defence is designed to harass, distract, and delay the invaders, creating a barrier and buying crucial time for the U.S. and its allies to respond.
The urgency of these developments is underscored by the timeline set forth by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has called for the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to take Taiwan by force by 2027. The U.S., alongside its regional partners, is racing against time to ensure that any such invasion would be met with formidable resistance.
Of course the Chinese will be producing thousands of their own systems. The drone wars will be an intriguing one should it happen.
And why not be doing this more on the quiet? Why broadcast it all and in advance, and as you say it will just be encouraging copycatting from China. More ships, planes, subs, missiles, surveillance also needed.
The general idea is to prevent the Chinese trying to invade in the first place, by making it obvious that it would be a hopeless undertaking. The geopolitical consequences of an actual Chinese invasion attempt would be severe whether they were defeated or not. Forcing them to abandon their expansionist aspirations until the window of opportunity closes offers at least some hope for stability over the next couple of decades.
Invading Taiwan is a plan typical of an autocratic regime unable to think of better things to do.
Even at its narrowest point, the Taiwan Strait is 130 m (81 mi) across, an invitation to sink the bulk of shipping that may try to attack.
The CCP should take a lesson from Putin’s Ukraine misadventure, and forget it.
Unfortunately Tiawan is a profound issue to the Chinese and they will not back down on this unless the west can convince them that it will fight and win a world war.. The big difference is that Russia has invaded a sovereign country….china believes Taiwan has been stolen from it by the losing side in a civil war that is being backed out by states meddling its in sovereign affairs….China firmly believes this is the closing episode of the civil war that ended the last vestige of the century of humiliation…they will go to war over it, in the same… Read more »
Sure, that’s the oft-repeated CCP position.
But absolutely no reason to make it easy for them, and at least they should be prepared for massive losses, and no guarantee of a win – if you can call it that.
Indeed, but what you have to understand from that is that they will go to war, and it will be very difficult to deter them..which means your deterrent needs to be huge…and you need to be ready to take the consequences of that deterrent failing because it probably will.
It’s not just the CCP vs Taiwan.
Other countries throughout the whole area are threatened by the CCP’s braggadocio and take it seriously.
Result is an arms race, with the CCP taking prime responsibility.
And we are financing it, not just greedy companies like Tesco, Hornby, BMW, mercedes, etc. with zero morals (supporting genocide and slave labour as well as animal and human rights abused and the murder of people from other countries) but even our own damned mod is supporting them by buying stuff from them
Not quite sure who you claim is financing.
Certainly the CCP Has plenty to answer for in terms of rights.
Their actions in the SCS & against free nations across the globeshow they don’t have a limited, local plan, but a plan for total world domination. They’ve been building bases across the globe too. But attacking Taiwan would kill the golden goose the west has handed them on a plate by shifting most of our manufacturing industries to China. A terrible own goal for freedom. Invade Taiwan & all those markets close.
China’s CCP may think it has a historical right to invade Taiwan, but surely in this day and age they need to let somethings go and be respectful of other nations and people’s rights to self determination. The world doesn’t just revolve around them even though they do have a lot of economic clout, so does the rest of the world and it wants its freedom which it will fight and defend for!
You respected other peoples’ right to self determination? Have you told the natives living in your concentration camps that you call reservations? Or the Canadians call Reserves? Have you stopped apologising for the inhuman treatment of native children? Are you respecting the oglala Sioux and others right to self determination? You never respected anyone but those of your pigmentation.
Hi Frank, sorry for the late reply. I agree with you and yes imperialistic history has been violent against indigenous peoples as well as ordinary peoples. Hasn’t all history since day one? Every nation on the planet has prettyuch been invaded by someone else and we can talk about it over a ☕ in relative freedom without the suffering. It shouldn’t be ignored and should be acknowledged and current governments should certainly assist them and be more mindful in this current day and age especially with a strong emphasis on human rights, nation rights, international law post World War 2… Read more »
Grandiose names for something the chinese have been doing for years now……they practically own the drone industry. The US and allies put together cannot field more or better drones than the chinese in any theatre of war. For every 1 thousand drone the west can make, China can make 1 million hence, its just another DOD fancy idea….We in the west talk about China with little understanding of the sheer scale of their industrial might. Just one chinese factory deliver 5 thousand cheap drones in 48hrs if you place your order now……imagine what they can do in war times.
In your bellicose dreams perhaps.
Simple question……can the west as a whole produce anything quicker and in greater numbers than the chinese?
Just a propaganda question, dreamt up by a war-lover.
What’s the propaganda here ? We can barely produce anything at scale in the west compared to the chinese…..have you ever been to China? Maybe a visit will give someone like you a better clarity. Wars are won on industrial might, and the chinese eclipse us by some distance. Know thy enermy is all I’m saying.
Familiar with China thanks.
China has said repeatedly that attacking Taiwan is only if Taiwan declared independence. It is up to Taiwan. An independent Republic of China is obviously unacceptable. Republic of China is the whole of China.
You can just as easily expect the CCP to behave sensibly. Unlikely though.
Who is CCP? If you are referring to China why not say China? And the Tories are sensible for following Americans like little terriers? Or the USA are sensible for exterminating natives utterly and completely? Or Australians massacring aborigines? It is sensible for people of a certain pigmentation to encamp themselves in entire continents that belonged to someone else?
You know what the CCP is, just as I do.
As for the rest, just ramblings.
You are just insolent little brat. Mummy taught you nothing?
Can you muster up enough courage to utter insolence in your real name?
As I said, just ramblings.
My late mother taught me plenty thanks.
Did you mother have a real name? Not brave enough to speak in your own name? Was she Mrs DMJ?
DMJ. I apologise. I have just realised that you said of your late mother. I wish to pay respects to your late Mum. God bless her and rest in peace. I respect all mothers who are the best things in this world. Best wishes
You can have your perspective and opinions on what you think of Taiwan but if they fundamentally disagree with mainland China and want their own self determination and democratic independence then that’s for them. Most sane people do hope it won’t lead to a conflict but if it does obviously the West and others will take a side. I think the real prize China wants is the control of and access to the tech of the 90% of the world’s chipmaking located (stupidly) in the one place. I could be totally wrong on this, time will reveal.
Yes, overly egotistical bullies may need to learn, the hard way. It will cost the West too.
You are correct Ian this is about warning the Chinese about how debilitating to them any such attempt would be and thus make them question its logic. The destruction of Russian forces of course is another leg to this preventative strategy, they wanted the West weakened and in fear instead arguably it’s the opposite, only Trump could reverse prospects by not understanding the bigger related picture. This is NOT the scenario China wanted of expected and the risk to its own intentions certainly far higher.
You an American? You must be the huddled masses from impoverished UK and Europe to proceeded to exterminate natives and forcing the remaining on death matches into concentration camps. How debilitating to Chinese? I remember the Americans running away in Korea called The Big Bugout. Even almost unarmed the Chinese drove heavily armed Americans back to the edge of the sea. I remember the last time Americans fought alone without allies at Little Big Horn. The Americans lost against 18 bows and about 18 arrows
It’s called deterence. I welcome the USA making their support for Taiwan & opposition to a CCP invasion public. Thankfully most of China’s neighbours have been closely watching the rise of the PRC for decades & building their forces accordingly. No peace dividend folly their. Xi knows that if they act with unity & alongside US support he’s got a huge challange despite the size of the PLA. It would seem the best way to have any chance of success of retaking Taiwan the PRC would need the distraction of N Korea mounting a major invasion of S Korea. Though… Read more »
With respect I don’t think China takes much notice of Western “deterrence” as I think they see themselves as big players now. Their self-flated idea of their history and hegemony might also be going to their heads. So long as it doesn’t also go to ours (the West). We need to be strong enough to defend our human values, democratic rights and those of other nations. Taiwan is an obvious centre of world chip production too, isn’t it 90+% of the global market? Why was it ever allowed to be so concentrated there and right next to the Chinese mainland?… Read more »
Don’t you think russia and China have discussed this, thus Israel and North Korea sending troops and crap over the border to see what the reply is. All these things start with russia and China, meddling in Africa and South America and all other area where they can cause conflict then go all 😇 nothing to do with them. Russia and China are at the bottom of ALL chaos and uncertainty in the world and the world NEEDS to awaken from our it will be alright on the night attitude.
That is clearly the case. What we need is leadership that is up to challenging & combating it rather than weak responses, a possible Putinbot(USA) & even more defence cuts.
Uk military will have to be prepared to face drone war.
The UK military on its own will have no naval vessel left in the first 2 hours of a war with China. I really think we massively overestimate our capacity. We are talking about a country with more industrial output than the west put together. We can’t even out produce Russia for artillery shells, but want to out produce the chinese in cheap drone. Let’s just pray that this war never happens, cos the chinese defo has more modern missiles and better drones in way greater numbers than we do in the west.
We can agree cheap drones are coming and hopefully uk considering the consequences of this. Not thinking uk would face up to china, minor support role to USA Australia Japan s Korea ??
They are
“ Cutting-edge drone killer radio wave weapon developing at pace
A new game-changing weapon that uses radio waves to disable enemy electronics and take down multiple drones at once is under development for the UK’s armed forces”.
And you think other military especially the chinese haven’t developed this technology? Considering that they are the leading manufacturers of both civilian and military drones …
Thousands? Millions.
A smartphone is a drone without wings and propulsion.
That’s exactly the point. The resources are limited, even for China. Seeing the US may not win the naval arms race due to their relative cost constraints, they engage China in a new domain which will force China to divert their limited resources from manned systems to unmanned ones. The US also happens to have strategic advantages in this new domain (chips among other technological expertise).
Using our money and our technology from civil servants receiving back handers or just hating the west and greedy unprincipled companies
China will win at the numbers game.
China will happily produce drones which don’t have the same level of regualtory requirements that the West would. If a % of these drones malfunctioned and fell on the Chineese population then the Chineese government would see it as nothing more than unfortunate where as for the west its intolerable. So they could forgo things like redundant flight controllers making making it easier/cheaper to produce in greater volumes.
In peacetime the west flies expensive aviation compliant drones with plenty of redundancy, war situation with no civilian aviation around can put up the cheap stuff.
Trouble is we need that stuff ready to go so it can turned around quickly and put into production.
Unfortunately it also now has the numbers game on: 1) warm bodies to throw in a war. 2) political warfare capability and internal security ( china will attack through all domains of political warfare, from social media, creating civil strife, subversion and outright terror attacks). 3) core industrial capacity…china has 260 times the shipbuilding capacity of the US.. 26 million tonnes a year vs 100,000 tonnes a year. 4) navel units…its got a lot of ships to play the attrition game. 5) amphibious capabilities, the PLAN have around 400,000 tonnes of over the beach sea lift..but china has been building… Read more »
The irony is all that nass China has and the tech was provide directly or indirectly by the West.
I’ve said before China is one big western social, political and economic experiment gone wrong for the West.
Yes someone accidentally forgot that the great political, social economic movements of the 20c are actually mutually exclusive and profound enemies….the idiot exponents of “the end of history” may go down as some of the worst fools in history….they never noticed that the CCP was still at war with them.
Correct if I’m wrong but I thought I read somewhere that the CCP membership is only 100 million out of a 1.4 billion population. Their control of society might be comprehensive but at the same time potentially very tenuous too. This is top down control, if overwhelmed from below could topple the CCP over. There’s also a big Chinese diaspora all over the West and I don’t think they’d be majority anti-West, in fact quite the opposite and this must be getting back to the mainland Chinese and bypassing some of the CCP’s anti-West propaganda. Maybe the West’s openess is… Read more »
The west’s openness? Well Quintin lad, you forgot to tell the slaves in USA not the natives herded into concentration camps. Or the aborigines in Australia who suffered you generous massacres. Ask the Indian why they are poor. Ask them about Amritsar
Tibet, Uighurs, detention camps, incursions into North India, Nepal, Bhutan, SCS, WPS, Cultural Revolution…
Blah blah blah. Do something about it. You just pick on Gaza. Palestine. Afghanistan. Vietnam. Oglala Sioux. Cherokee. Navajo. Mohawks. Aborigines. Maoris. I disagree. Zimbabwe. Ireland. You even lied to invade Iraq. But you chicken to go anywhere near Ukraine. Hahaha
Not a easy fate crossing 80 miles of water without being noticed and without being attacked by sea mines anti-ship missiles, sea drones air drones and fighter-jets If they did manage to get thought that lot, it won’t take that long before they are within artillery range, 20 miles of continuous artillery fire seeing comrades die and ships blown up, but you’re the lucky one that manage to land on the beach, no doubt there will be a miles of mind fields defensive obstacles to cross under heavy machine gun fire. By then the PRC would have been so badly… Read more »
Don’t underestimate the tenacity of the smaller guy… If Taiwan is victorious, and i hope in their own self defence that they are, what that would also do to the CCP and Chinese mainland in general?
Taiwan victorious in what universe can there be such possibility…..let’s just hope it doesn’t happen..
The little guy Viz Taiwan or Roc were driven into Taiwan by an ill armed china or PRC. By the way why are UK and USA so afraid of letting Ukraine attack Russia? And why not NATO invade Ukraine and drive out Russia. It’s so easy.
For the west it would be intolerable? You never found it intolerable to enslaved millions for centuries? Or telling lies to invade a small defenceless country like Iraq? And building concentration camps in USA
How long before AI will take control over them drones ?
The Idea is to try and make China believe the west is serious about stopping or resisting an invasion, if it really were we wouldn’t be reading this.
The USAF is retiring 11 F-16C & the USN is retiring 5 F/A-18F this year. They should give them to Taiwan. That would let Taiwan retire 16 of their F-5.
And even as this happens the British MoD is actively supporting Chinese military build up and aggression by buying cap badges from them instead of supporting British jobs buying them here. The Chinese and Russian living British civil service should be sent to these countries or hung for supporting them. China is supplying Russia, it uses slaves, it is committing genocide and is arming (while our civil servants disarm us) it is truly pathetic and disgusting
Hahaha. Dave boy you have a vivid imagination. I’m relieved you and your convicts and £10 poms did not commit genocide by massacring aborigines in Australia. Ot in Canada. Nor in USA especially at Wounded Knee. Or even the Irish who say you have colonised the for 400 or 800 years.
What vivid imagination? China is acknowledged to be committing genocide in at least two areas, one being Tibet the other with the Uyghars, The USA (profit loving though they are) have banned imports from certain parts of China because of the slaves, this is documented. I am sure that 400 or so years ago we did colonize places, I am pretty sure that we have ALSO been colonized, we have used slaves ourselves a couple of hundred years back and have indeed also been used as slaves, in fact the vast majority of the population were ‘serfs’ required to get… Read more »
You lie. All Americans lie. All American media lie. You are up to your nostrils in Israel genocide
So a few points. First I am English, British as well, but not American Second if you want to bring genocide in Russia have declared they want to destroy Ukraine and Ukrainian identity, the Chinese are already committing genocide in Tibet and Uyghars. Lastly the Palestinians attacked and celebrated the killing of Jewish babies, the conflict there is long but the jews are not the ones yelling and screaming they want to wipe Palestinians out, it is exactly the opposite
Let’s chat using our real names like I am. At least we can be checked out. Be brave Dave.
I am Dave, it is my real name and I suspect yours is false from your ranting but there we go, it doesn’t matter