The Pentagon taps Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to help decide what the military should do next
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched 'Project Meridian,' a new initiative to study future warfare and technology, co-led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich. This team, working under Defense Department CTO Emil Michael, has 120 days to propose actionable solutions for advanced military technology. The Pentagon also announced an Autonomous Warfare Command to accelerate the development and deployment of drones and autonomous systems.
Why it matters
The involvement of prominent tech figures like Musk and Luckey in shaping future military strategy highlights the increasing convergence of technology and defense, potentially accelerating the development and deployment of advanced autonomous warfare systems and influencing global power dynamics.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a “ State of the Force ” address on Wednesday to launch a new effort to study how war may be fought as tech advances rapidly. It’s being called Project Meridian.
Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will co-lead the project. They’ll be joined by others from fields such as academia and policy, all working under the direction of Defense Department CTO Emil Michael. Their job is to “study the battlefields of the future” and the “weapons and technologies warfighters” may use on them, said Hegseth in a letter announcing the project.
The team (it is unclear how many people will be on it) will have 120 days to submit its findings and propose “actionable solutions to start developing, testing, and fielding” advanced technology meant to keep America a dominant military power, per Hegseth.
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