Elon Musk to Co-Lead Pentagon Study on Future Warfare

Elon Musk will return to advise the U.S. government by co-leading a Pentagon study on the future of warfare, known as Project Meridian. Musk previously served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) until May 2025. During a speech at Quantico military base, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stated that Project Meridian aims to utilize America's innovators and technologists to study warfare's future. Musk will co-lead the project with Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril Industries, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Musk's companies, including SpaceX, are already significant contractors for the Pentagon, contributing to projects like the satellite networks for the planned missile defense shield. His artificial intelligence firm xAI has also signed a deal for military use of its Grok chatbot on classified systems. In 2024, Musk supported Trump's return to the White House, although they had a public disagreement over spending legislation. Recently, Musk has been more visible at the White House, participating in discussions on AI safety and attending state dinners. Hegseth indicated that the project's findings are expected to be completed within 120 days, with contributions from selected private sector leaders and experts.