The Pentagon’s new drone fixation

We dig into the U.S. military's new Replicator initiative, and explore Anduril's recent UAV-firm acquisition.  Guests: Patrick Tucker,science and technology editor at Defense One; Chris Brose, chief strategy officer for Anduril Industries. Related reading: “‘Hellscape’: DOD launches massive drone swarm program to counter China,” by Patrick Tucker, reporting August 28, 2023;  Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks' Remarks: "Unpacking the Replicator Initiative" at the 2023 Defense News Conference;  “The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare,” by Chris Brose (published 2020); And “Anduril buys drone maker Blue Force Technologies amid Pentagon push for autonomous aircraft,” by Marcus Weisgerber, reporting September 7, 2023.