Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new defense initiative called Project Meridian on Wednesday. He revealed the effort during a State of the Force address. The project aims to study how future wars will be fought as technology advances rapidly.
Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will co-lead the new project. Additional members from academia and policy fields will join them. Defense Department CTO Emil Michael will direct the entire group.
Hegseth announced the initiative in a letter detailing their mission. The team will study future battlefields alongside the weapons and technologies warfighters might use. It remains unclear exactly how many people will serve on the panel.
The appointed group has 120 days to deliver its findings. They must propose actionable solutions to develop, test, and field advanced technology. These steps aim to keep America a dominant military power.
Hegseth announced a separate warfare command
Hegseth also announced an Autonomous Warfare Command on Wednesday. This separate command aims to speed up the development and deployment of autonomous systems and drones. The Pentagon stated the study will operate through a partner organization, but did not name the organization or its leader.
TechCrunch reached out to the Defense Department for comment. The department referred reporters to a press release and stated it had nothing further to provide beyond the Secretary's comments.
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Musk recently renewed close ties with the administration. He had lunch with the president alongside other top AI leaders to discuss artificial intelligence. This project marks Musk's first official return to the administration's fold since he left the Department of Government Efficiency last year.
Musk's SpaceX launches government satellites and operates a network supporting national defense. Luckey's company, Anduril, builds autonomous military systems and drones. Anduril recently secured government contracts for long-range missiles, semi-autonomous fighter aircraft, and hardware for the Army's mobile intelligence system.
Critics could argue that placing Musk and Luckey on the project aligns with their business interests. They will be looking for solutions that their own companies already sell. The Trump administration continues to prioritize advanced military technology and relies heavily on Silicon Valley companies to achieve this goal.
The assigned panel must submit its findings and actionable solutions within 120 days.
