WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new initiative called Project Meridian, which will involve tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, along with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in a panel focused on studying the future of warfare. The panel aims to identify future technologies that may be crucial on the battlefield, with the goal of ensuring that the United States remains competitive. An unclassified report detailing their findings will be released, accompanied by a classified annex.
Hegseth stated, "As we scan that horizon of an unknown future, we should have the humility to recognize that the best forecasters of future conflict do not solely reside inside the Pentagon." He emphasized the initiative's purpose to creatively explore future domains and capabilities that need to be mastered, noting, "We should have been thinking about Autonomous Warfare Command ten years ago. We need to be looking forward into the future."
Project Meridian was one of six initiatives unveiled by Hegseth during his address to military personnel at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday. Another initiative introduced was the establishment of Autonomous Warfare Command, which will manage the rapid implementation of autonomous technologies across the military.
Musk’s SpaceX and Luckey’s Anduril currently hold contracts with the Pentagon. The first meeting of the Project Meridian panel took place in a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) on Wednesday, according to Hegseth.
Hegseth acknowledged that military leadership regularly assesses the future of warfare but suggested that collaboration with the private sector could provide valuable insights. During his address, he also criticized the media, stating, "Our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable," and described reporters as "anti-American." He expressed concern over what he termed partisan activism in journalism, stating, "It’s sick. It’s a national betrayal. It’s treason, actually."