Elon Musk joins Pentagon project to study the future of warfare
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Elon Musk (Photo: REUTERS/Kylie Cooper)
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth announced a new Autonomous Warfare Command to develop and deploy drones, robotic and other autonomous combat systems, while Elon Musk will join a separate project on the future of warfare on Oct. 1.
According to Hegseth, AutoWarCom is expected to begin operations in October 2027. The new command will be tasked with accelerating the procurement, testing and deployment of unmanned and robotic systems.
The command is eventually expected to be led by a four-star general, though no candidate has yet been named. The initial team includes former Marine and former Defense Department official Owen West, as well as former Navy SEAL and test pilot Max Strasyser.
Separately, the Pentagon is launching Project Meridian, a 120-day study on the future of warfare. Hegseth has enlisted SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich to take part in the project.
They are expected to examine how emerging technologies could reshape future warfare and propose related concepts to the Pentagon. The findings are expected in about four months.
One of the main goals of the new strategy will be to establish a large-scale U.S. production chain for low-cost unmanned systems. West told The Wall Street Journal that the U.S. military wants to learn to adapt to changes on the battlefield as quickly as Ukraine does.
Pentagon officials have previously acknowledged that the United States significantly lags behind Ukraine in the scale of drone production. U.S. officials estimate that Ukraine could produce 6 million to 7 million small FPV attack drones in 2026. The United States is also working to establish a complete domestic supply chain for components used in small drones.
Ukrainian technology is already being incorporated directly into U.S. military programs. Six Ukrainian companies have been invited to participate in Gauntlet II testing in the United States, and all have established or are establishing joint ventures with U.S. manufacturers. Localizing production in the United States is a requirement for securing future orders.
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