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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday (September 30) that Elon Musk will co-lead a new government initiative, Project Meridian, aimed at studying the future of warfare. This marks Musk's return to government work after his tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). Musk will join Palmer Luckey, CEO of Anduril, and Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, in leading the project.
Project Meridian will run for 120 days, focusing on identifying the military capabilities and technologies the U.S. will need to maintain dominance on future battlefields. The project will conclude with a public report of its findings. According to The Guardian, the initiative aims to explore new warfare domains, including subterranean and lunar environments.
Both Musk and Luckey have extensive experience with defense technology. Musk's SpaceX holds several Pentagon contracts, while Luckey's Anduril specializes in autonomous weapons. This experience positions them to offer valuable insights, though it also raises potential conflict-of-interest concerns.
Hegseth emphasized the importance of anticipating future operational environments to maintain global dominance. He stated, "We are witnessing rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics, biotechnology, among other critical high-tech areas." Fox News reported that the project will focus on "discovering, developing, and fielding" weapons and systems for future U.S. troops.
The announcement is part of a broader Pentagon push into autonomous warfare, which includes the creation of a new Autonomous Warfare Command. This initiative aims to scale autonomous and robotic capabilities across the military, as reported by CNBC.