The newspaper reported that the Pentagon leadership has transferred work on the Replicator program to a new unit under the Special Operations Command known as the Defensive Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG).

The Wall Street Journal published a report detailing the failure of the Pentagon’s Replicator program, which aims to deploy thousands of drones by August 2025, in meeting its goals and facing implementation challenges.

Sources familiar with the matter told the newspaper that the Pentagon’s ambitious plan to deploy thousands of advanced drones in preparation for a potential conflict with China has not met its objectives, with the military struggling to determine how to use some of these systems in the field.

The sources added that this effort, launched two years ago as a way to rapidly purchase low-cost autonomous weapons to counter China’s growing military capabilities, is now being moved to a new unit due to concerns about its lack of sufficient progress.

While Hicks requested $1 billion over two years for the Replicator program, some lawmakers have called for billions more, arguing that the total amount should be much higher to ensure success.

According to the newspaper, some of the program’s systems were unreliable, expensive, or slow to manufacture to the extent that they could not be purchased in the required quantities, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon also struggled to find a program that could successfully control large numbers of drones, made by different companies, working in coordination to find and possibly strike a target, which is essential to the program’s vision.

The newspaper reported that the Pentagon leadership transferred work on the Replicator program to a new unit under the Special Operations Command known as the Defensive Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG), hoping to accelerate the program and focus on the most suitable weapons.

Participants in the Replicator program give different reasons for the delays, but say the efforts have been largely successful.

Some point to branches of the armed forces that pushed to buy systems that were not ready, while others say setbacks were just a natural part of any attempt to accelerate technology.

In an email, Hicks said the program was on track for success when she left the Pentagon in late January and that she initiated the purchase of autonomous systems for the Army.

According to the newspaper, the program’s purpose is to prepare for a potential conflict with China in the Pacific Ocean. Beijing has rapidly expanded its arsenal of ships, aircraft, and high-tech weapons in recent years, and U.S. officials believe “Beijing may be ready to seize Taiwan,” the United States’ major trading partner, by 2027.

The conflict over the island will pose technological and logistical challenges, requiring naval ships and drones to travel long distances and operate independently, even if wireless communications and GPS are jammed.

Defense officials say drones will allow the U.S. to expand the battlefield, bypass defenses, and attack targets without significant loss of life or expensive equipment.

The DAWG now has less than two years to deliver the drones the Pentagon says it needs, according to people familiar with the matter. The tight timeline reflects the urgency officials believe the U.S. must be prepared for war in the Pacific, the newspaper said.