U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a series of initiatives aimed at reshaping the U.S. military, including a new command for autonomous warfare, a technology-focused project led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich, and plans to make major military bases more self-sufficient.
Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday, Hegseth outlined six initiatives during his “State of the Force” address, which he said would become an annual event. The proposals form part of his broader effort to restructure the military around what he describes as a renewed “warrior ethos,” technological superiority and greater domestic resilience.
New command for autonomous warfare
One of the central announcements was the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom, a new four-star combatant command designed to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic systems across the U.S. military.
Hegseth said the command would focus on technologies including drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, with the aim of creating dedicated career paths and institutional expertise in autonomous warfare. The Pentagon plans to establish the command by October 2027, subject to the necessary congressional authorization.
Hegseth described drone warfare and AI-enabled targeting as one of the biggest changes in modern warfare and argued that the U.S. military needed to move more quickly to incorporate such technologies.
The initiative comes as drones and other relatively low-cost autonomous systems have become increasingly important in conflicts including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Musk, Luckey and Gingrich to lead future warfare project
Hegseth also announced Project Meridian, a 120-day effort to examine how warfare could evolve over the coming decades.
The project will be led by Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael and co-directed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The group will work with military officials, private-sector executives and other experts to identify emerging technologies and areas of future military competition.
Hegseth said the project would look beyond existing military capabilities and consider technologies and domains ranging from subterranean warfare to operations beyond the Moon.
The initiative has also attracted scrutiny because Musk and Luckey run companies with significant interests in U.S. defense technology and government contracts.
Pentagon plans more self-sufficient military bases
Another major initiative, dubbed FORTRESS America, is designed to reduce the military’s dependence on civilian infrastructure and overseas supply chains.
Under the plan, major U.S. military installations would eventually be capable of generating their own power independently of the civilian electricity grid. Hegseth also called for stronger protection against cyberattacks, sabotage and drone attacks, alongside expanded strategic reserves of fuel, ammunition, medicine and other supplies.
The initiative also seeks to bring more critical supply chains for materials such as rare earth elements, specialty metals, semiconductors and military propellants back to the United States.
New military base planned
Hegseth said the administration would also move forward with what he called the “Next Great American Base,” the first new U.S. military installation of its kind in four decades.
States across the country will be invited to propose hosting the installation, which Hegseth said could accommodate between 15,000 and 25,000 troops. The proposed base would feature independent power generation, modern air defenses, upgraded housing and infrastructure, and other facilities for military personnel and their families.
The plan comes alongside Hegseth’s broader effort to improve military infrastructure while bringing more U.S. troops back from overseas deployments.
Hegseth proposes cuts to senior ranks
Hegseth also reiterated his plan to reduce the number of generals and admirals in the U.S. military by 20%, arguing that the Pentagon’s senior leadership structure has become unnecessarily large.
The proposal has drawn criticism over concerns that changes to senior military leadership could weaken institutional stability and politicize the armed forces. Hegseth has described the changes instead as an effort to strengthen accountability and streamline the chain of command.
His speech also included proposals for a new Office of Religious Affairs and expanded military education programs at several universities.
The address combined those structural changes with broader criticism of Pentagon bureaucracy, the media and higher education, reflecting the administration’s wider effort to change the culture and priorities of the U.S. armed forces.
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