Short Bursts:
Insights for Canada – What the Replicator Can Teach Us

By Kristen Csenkey, Ph.D. 

The Canadian Army is currently prioritizing modernization to ensure our forces align with the current character of war. Within this context, Canada can increasingly explore areas where it may benefit from allies' innovations, while also contributing effectively to shared defence goals and advancing our own strategic objectives. One such opportunity may lie in the American Replicator initiative.  

Replicator is a United States (US) Department of Defense initiative aimed at rapidly procuring and deploying thousands of autonomous systems across warfighting domains. Its primary goal is to address the operational needs of US forces by fielding critical technological capabilities to can keep up with the changing character of war.^{Footnote 1}  The first phase of the initiative, now called Replicator 1, was launched in August 2023, and the second phase, Replicator 2, was recently released in September 2024 and will focus on countering the threat posed by small uncrewed aerial systems. The US Defense Innovation Unit refers to Replicator as a "warfighter-defined investment funnel" aimed at "creating an on-ramp for new capabilities, systems and industry partners."^{Footnote 2}  While many details of programme remain classified, the US Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks explains that Replicator represents "more ships, more missiles, more people" and is primarily aimed at countering China’s production capabilities.^{Footnote 3}  Recognizing the urgent need to counter near-peer competitors in an increasingly dynamic global security environment, Replicator aims to improve the defence acquisition process.

Overall, Replicator aims to maintain a decisive technological edge for the U.S. military by streamlining procurement and leveraging domestic innovators in critical defense technologies like uncrewed aerial systems. This approach is crucial as the evolving global security landscape, marked by high-intensity conflicts and the rising threat of foreign state-linked companies in critical supply chains, requires a shift in military technology procurement. For example, Russia’s use of low-cost, Iranian-made uncrewed aerial systems in Ukraine illustrates their impact on modern warfare and underscores the urgent need to develop and deploy countermeasures.^{Footnote 4}

Beyond just keeping pace with adversary capabilities, the Replicator initiative aims to proactively to ensure that the US has the tools to remain agile and adapt to the changing threat environment. This requires not only building and maintaining capabilities to counter technologies like uncrewed aerial system but also fostering a more innovative relationship with the domestic defense industrial base. The goal is to ensure that critical military technologies are made available to US forces within an expedited timeframe. The initiative has already been praised by US special operations leadership^{Footnote 5}  and has piqued the interest of service branches.^{Footnote 6}

In comparison, Canada's current on-ramp for new capabilities is relatively slow, rigid, and expensive. This need is particularly evident in the Arctic, where the region’s increasing geopolitical significance and heightened security focus highlight the urgent need for capable, rapidly-procured technologies to monitor and collect data on activities there. However, the procurement funnel is often blocked or narrowed. This stands in contrast to goals of the Replicator Initiative which focuses on fast, agile, and cost-effective procurement. Asks that used to take ten years to materialize can now be done in a year or less.  

The Canadian Armed Forces must achieve and maintain technological parity with our allies to effectively fulfill evolving operational commitments, both domestically and abroad. The speed of innovation and technological development, coupled with the increasing tempo of allied operations—exemplified by the US' focus on security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region—demands that Canada significantly accelerate our own military modernization to keep pace with the evolving capabilities of our allies. 

To be sure, the Canadian Armed Forces has the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program to connect Canadian innovators with defence and security challenges. Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence duly recognize the need for procurement reform.^{Footnote 7} Yet, many experts have pointed out the problems with the current state of defence procurement in Canada. Recently, Rear-Admiral (retired) Ian Mack urged for tangible improvements instead of the continued narrative of problems and shortcomings, including unrealistic expectations, excessive processes, and a culture of risk aversion.^{Footnote 8}  Although the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence released a new report suggesting changes to the procurement process, no one has yet proposed drawing lessons from the Replicator Initiative to tap into Canada’s innovative capabilities and technology ecosystems.^{Footnote 9}

As one of the world's top innovation leaders, where does Canadian knowledge and technology fit into Replicator, if at all?^{Footnote 10}  One answer could be through embedded partnerships.  

The concept of embedded partnerships presented here is twofold. First, as the U.S. addresses operational challenges in the Indo-Pacific and globally by accelerating the integration of emerging technologies with defense capabilities, Canadian companies have the opportunity to play a key role in a trusted North American supply chain. Additionally, embedded partnerships can capitalize on the current geopolitical context, where ongoing sanctions on Chinese companies, including UAV part manufacturers, create a potential market for Canadian expertise and technology to fill the gap.  

Canada has a rich history of technological innovation, with global recognition continuing today.. For instance, the Toronto-Waterloo ecosystem is often recognized as one of the top 20 places for innovation in the world. The Canadian quantum technology ecosystem has notably grown and this may be in part due to domestic championship through investment and private sector-academia partnerships.^{Footnote 11}  This leads to the second part of embedded partnerships: articulating a strategic relationship with industry. 

The continued lack of a specific defence industrial policy has been noted by experts for years. Emeritus Associate Professor Craig Stone frequently reiterates his 2008 call for an overarching national strategic level policy to deal with the complexity and challenges of the global security environment.^{Footnote 12}  Brian Gallant and Jordan Miller argue for a comprehensive sector-specific strategy that enables a whole-of-society approach to the complex civil, military, and commercial problems of a world in flux.^{Footnote 13}  A national industrial strategy would clearly articulate Canada's commitment to allies and prioritize national innovative potential. 

This is not to say that reinforcing capitalism, unbridled consumption, and the potential waste of vast resources is the solution to defending North America and advancing Canada’s interests and values in the world. Does cheap and sheer mass always result in operational success? Conversely, does few and complex translate to technological readiness across all domains?^{Footnote 14}  

There "are no magic beans" to easily deter adversaries - to borrow the phrasing from US Navy Captain (retired) Thomas Shugart.^{Footnote 15}  The medium and long-term influence of Replicator are unknown. What we do know is that Canada is the US' largest trading partner, close ally, and collaborator in security and defence. Managing this unique relationship through strategic partnerships on emerging technologies – as part of Replicator or not – is one way for Canada to foster our abilities to navigate the constantly changing geopolitical landscape.  

 

About the Author 

Kristen Csenkey, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow at the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and a Digital Policy Hub postdoctoral fellow at Centre for International Governance Innovation. Her research broadly focuses on socio-technical approaches to cyber governance, defence, and security. Csenkey has published in the War on the Rocks, Le Rubicon, Canadian Naval Review, Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, and the Journal of Cybersecurity. She holds many fellowship positions, including with the Canadian Maritime Security Network and the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network. 

 

The author is grateful to Dr. Aditi Malhotra for her helpful comments and feedback on an earlier version of this piece. 

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This article first appeared online in the Short Bursts section of the Canadian Army Journal (July 2025).