Hegseth Puts Musk, Luckey and Gingrich in Charge of Mapping Future Warfare

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used his second consecutive State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico to place Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich at the center of a 120-day effort to map the future of warfare. The three will co-direct Project Meridian, a study commissioned through an unnamed partner organization and due to Hegseth's office by January 28, 2027. The announcement came in a speech that also confirmed a 20 percent cut to the military's generals and admirals.

Hegseth Puts Musk, Luckey and Gingrich in Charge of Mapping Future Warfare

Quantico, Virginia - Hegseth delivered the address Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the Virginia base, according to a Department of War press release. ABC News reports he addressed 600 service members, including non-commissioned officers and junior officers. The Associated Press notes the speech is not a usual fixture among Pentagon leaders.

Three Names, and 120 Days

A memo signed September 30, 2026, and numbered OS0010438-26/CMDO 13357-26, directs the department's Chief Technology Officer, Emil Michael, to commission Project Meridian through a partner organization, according to the Department of War. The memo is addressed to senior Pentagon leadership, commanders of the combatant commands, and defense agency and DoW field activity directors. It states that Project Meridian's finalized findings and recommendations shall be submitted to Hegseth's office no later than 120 days after its announcement, or on January 28, 2027. Fox News reports Hegseth said he would meet with Musk, Luckey and Gingrich in a secure site about 200 yards from the stage directly after his speech. The Hill reports their first meeting would happen directly after the event in a sensitive, compartmented information facility in the building.

What Project Meridian Is Meant to Answer

The memo states Project Meridian will study the battlefields of the future, identify which weapons and technologies warfighters will need to harness to dominate in these environments, and propose actionable solutions to start developing, testing and fielding these capabilities. It states the project's primary function will be to map the trajectory of future warfare, identify critical capability gaps, and propose actionable solutions in furtherance of the goals in the 2026 National Security Science and Technology Strategy. The memo states the Joint Staff and all services should be prepared to connect their future warfare efforts and research to Project Meridian. Hegseth said the project is "futuristic on purpose," and that it was not meant to develop new strategies or policies.

From Under the Earth to Beyond the Moon

Hegseth said the three will be focused on discovering, developing, and fielding the weapons and systems that children and grandchildren will need in their lifetimes, without any creative limitations or restrictions, on any future battlefield, from under the Earth to beyond the moon. CNBC reports Hegseth said the purpose is to identify the domains that must be conquered and capabilities that must be mastered. The memo states that under President Trump's leadership the United States has the world's strongest, most lethal, and most capable military, and that Operations MIDNIGHT HAMMER, ABSOLUTE RESOLVE, and EPIC FURY showcased the skill and bravery of warfighters along with unmatched technological prowess. The memo states that rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics and biotechnology will profoundly alter the character of warfare.

A Partner Organization Nobody Will Name

TechCrunch reports one curious detail in the Pentagon's announcement is that the study will come through a partner organization, but the announcement does not say what that organization is or who leads it. After TechCrunch reached out, the department referred it to a press release, saying it had nothing further to provide beyond the Secretary's comments. The memo states Project Meridian will leverage critical perspectives from outside the Pentagon, drawing upon a group of top technologists, innovators, business leaders, policy makers, and national security experts. TechCrunch reports it is unclear how many people will be on the team.

Musk's Return to Washington

The Guardian reports the project marks Musk's first return to government since he ran the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. It characterises the announcement as a sign of how Musk has re-entered the good graces of the Trump administration after a dramatic falling out with the president last year, and notes that unlike his DOGE role, the scope and goals of Project Meridian appear as if they will be much less time-consuming for the tech mogul. Yahoo News reports that DOGE fell apart and closed without a final report, and claimed $215 billion when it expired on July 4, 2026. An August Government Accountability Office review, according to Yahoo News, examined $110.3 billion in contract, grant, and lease savings DOGE had listed online, found $27.4 billion came from contracts with no termination action, and could not check how savings were counted for 96 percent of the grant total.

The Contracts Behind the Counsel

UPI reports none of the three men have served in the U.S. military, and that the companies led by Musk and Luckey both compete for Defense Department contracts worth billions. TechCrunch reports critics could argue that putting Musk and Luckey on Project Meridian directly aligns with their business interests, since they would be trying to find solutions their companies already sell. Their firms are already major suppliers: SpaceX launches satellites for the U.S. government and operates a satellite network that supports national defense and security missions, while Anduril creates autonomous military systems and drones and was recently awarded government contracts to produce long-range missiles and semi-autonomous fighter aircraft and to supply hardware and integration for the Army's mobile intelligence system, per TechCrunch. The Guardian reports Musk and Luckey are far from independent arbiters of the future of warfare, citing both companies' extensive defense department contracts, and CNBC reports SpaceX and Anduril have extensive Pentagon business, including multibillion-dollar defense contracts. Yahoo News reports SpaceX holds a $2.29 billion Space Force satellite contract, and notes the role carries no command over troops, budgets, or weapons buying, and that Hegseth's signed memo does not even name Musk.

What Hegseth Said About the Forecasters

Hegseth said the department should have the humility to recognize that the best forecasters of future conflict do not solely reside inside the Pentagon, and that there are obvious biases and risks in asking the same people to both ask the questions and answer them. Hegseth said that right after the speech, the group would hit the ground running, and that in that time Project Meridian will ruthlessly map the trajectory of wars, domains and technologies to ensure the department dominates the future. The Atlantic, in opinion commentary, writes that Luckey seems a reasonable choice, that Musk has crackpot ideas on any number of issues, and that Gingrich's big plan for technological advancement when he ran for president in 2012 was to build a moon base. The Atlantic adds that the damage the project could do will be somewhat limited because Hegseth has set a deadline of just 120 days.

The Other Five Initiatives

The department announced five other initiatives alongside Project Meridian. The first, referred to in coverage as AUTOWARCOM, is a new four-star functional combatant command to be established by October 1, 2027, which war.gov calls the fastest peacetime operational shift in modern military history. The second, America's Corps of Cadets, partners with Louisiana State University, Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University and Hillsdale College. The third, FORTRESS America, covers installation power, supply chains, strategic reserves and hardening against cyber intrusion, sabotage and drones. The fourth, Next Great American Base, is a new installation to host elite troops across hundreds of thousands of acres, with Hegseth running what he called a transparent, merit-based competition among governors and adjutants general. The fifth, an Office of Religious Affairs, will report directly to the Secretary of War; war.gov states it will not compel religious participation, favor one faith, or diminish the rights of personnel of any faith or lack thereof.

The Twenty Percent

The Associated Press reports Hegseth confirmed at the top of the same speech that the U.S. military will cut 20 percent of its generals and admirals, to be completed by January 1, 2027. Hegseth said the number crunchers say 10 percent of generals and admirals across the force were fired, that the number sounds about right, and that he directed it, adding that general officer slots were reduced by an additional 10 percent. Hegseth said the media calls that a purge, and that he calls it accountability and long overdue. ABC News reports there are currently 841 active-duty generals and admirals, according to Defense Department data, and that Hegseth told the room the consequences were for the 10 percent who clung to what he called the Woke Department and treated civilian control of the military as a suggestion. ABC News reports prior senior removals under Hegseth include Gen. Randy George as the Army's top officer, Gen. CQ Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti as chief of naval operations.

What Happens Next

The Associated Press reports the speech came with the U.S. military seven months into a war with Iran with no clear end in sight, and that the U.S. has also captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and killed more than 200 people in strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in Latin America. The Associated Press reports Hegseth reprised claims that the U.S. military has destroyed Iran's navy, air force and defense systems. The Hill, reporting the same day, reports the Pentagon is sending more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the Middle East as a buildup ramps up. The memo states Project Meridian is effective immediately, and that its findings are due to Hegseth's office no later than January 28, 2027.

By Jessica Ali, Staff Writer

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Sources: the U.S. Department of War and its Project Meridian memo, the Associated Press, ABC News, The Hill, CNBC, TechCrunch, The Guardian, UPI, Fox News and Yahoo News.