What happened
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has launched a new initiative called Project Meridian, which aims to study the future of warfare and identify key technologies that will shape the battlefield. The project will be co-directed by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, as well as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
The panel will release an unclassified report on their findings, along with a classified annex. Hegseth believes that bringing in experts from outside the Pentagon will help the US military stay ahead of the competition and prepare for future conflicts.
Project Meridian is one of six major initiatives unveiled by Hegseth during his address to military personnel at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Another initiative announced was the establishment of Autonomous Warfare Command, which will oversee the development and deployment of autonomous technologies across the joint force.
Hegseth emphasized the importance of looking to the future and identifying the domains that the US military must conquer and capabilities it must master. He also stressed the need for humility in recognizing that the best forecasters of future conflict may not solely reside inside the Pentagon.
