The Honorable Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, has been confirmed to speak at the Potomac Officers Club’s 9th Annual Army Summit on June 13.
Each year, the Annual Army Summit brings together top Army officials and industry experts to explore the near- and long-term challenges and priorities shaping Army’s future. At last year’s edition of the summit, Bush, a previous Wash100 Award winner, shared his insights on a variety of relevant topics, including hypersonic weapons and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. To learn more and secure your spot at this compelling event, click here.
Since last year’s Annual Army Summit, Bush has continuously spoken about notable Army focus areas. Keep reading for a look into his thoughts on three key initiatives.
Replicator
Launched in August 2023, Replicator is a Department of Defense-wide program that intends to “field attritable autonomous systems at scale of multiple thousands, in multiple domains, within the next 18-to-24 months,” according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.
Bush said during the National Security Innovation Base Summit last month that the Army is the initiative’s “biggest participant… in terms of quantity.” He shared that the program recently accepted an Army technology for its first tranche.
Though DOD officials have kept many specifics about the program under wraps, Bush said the Army is “excited, frankly, about the prospects of Replicator.”
Munitions Production
In February, Bush said the Army is looking to ramp up its production of 155 millimeter artillery shells, a munition with a major role in Ukraine’s defense operations. Specifically, the Army aims to move from 28,000 manufactured in October 2023 to 60,000 in October 2024. By October 2025, the Army hopes to produce 100,000 of these shells.
According to Bush, the Army will leverage a new factory in Texas that will “have an entirely new way of making the shell, using entirely new tech we’ve never used before” to make this goal a reality.
Precision Strike Missiles
The Army received the first batch of its new Long Range Precision Fires missile in December. Prior to delivery, the Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 Early Operational Capability missiles underwent testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Bush said that the missile will “provide Joint Force commanders with a 24/7, all-weather capability that will counter the enemy’s ability to conduct combat maneuver and air defense operations.”
“The rapid development and delivery of this capability is a prime example of the Army’s aggressive use of new acquisition authorities from Congress that allow us to move at much greater speed to get improved equipment to Soldiers,” he added.
For even more of Bush’s thoughts, register to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 9th Annual Army Summit!
