Pentagon Names Musk And Luckey To Future Warfare Project
Project Meridian will ask Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich to recommend military technologies and ways to develop and deploy them.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has named Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to lead Project Meridian, a new effort to examine how technology could change warfare. Announced Wednesday during Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address, the project will recommend capabilities the U.S. military should pursue and steps to put them into use, according to TechCrunch and Engadget.
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A 120-day study of future battlefields
Project Meridian will examine future battlefields, identify weapons and technologies service members may need, and propose ways to begin developing, testing and fielding them, the outlets reported. TechCrunch said Musk, Luckey and Gingrich will co-lead the work with participants from areas including academia and policy, under the direction of Defense Department CTO Emil Michael.
The team has 120 days to submit its findings and proposed solutions, according to TechCrunch. The outlet said the Pentagon has not specified how many people will take part. It also noted that the study will be conducted through a partner organization, but the announcement did not identify that organization or its leader. Asked for more information, the Defense Department referred TechCrunch to its press release and said it had nothing to add beyond Hegseth’s comments.
A broader push toward autonomous systems
Hegseth also announced an Autonomous Warfare Command on Wednesday, TechCrunch reported. Its purpose is to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous systems and drones. The announcement places Project Meridian alongside another effort focused on getting emerging military technology into use, though the reports do not describe how the two initiatives will work together.
Musk and Luckey already have business connections to the Pentagon. TechCrunch reported that Musk’s SpaceX launches U.S. government satellites and operates a satellite network supporting defense and security missions. Anduril makes autonomous military systems and drones, and has received government contracts involving long-range missiles, semi-autonomous fighter aircraft and an Army mobile intelligence system, the outlet said.
Questions about the advisers’ roles
Engadget, citing CNBC, noted that none of the three named leaders has served in the U.S. military. It also reported that Gingrich has worked on projects connected to the military, despite having no obvious ties to the technology sector.
Both outlets raised questions about the choice of advisers whose companies do business with the government. TechCrunch said critics could view Musk’s and Luckey’s roles as aligned with their companies’ interests, because the project could recommend capabilities those companies already sell. Engadget likewise suggested the initiative could concentrate influence and spending among people close to the administration. Neither report establishes that Project Meridian has awarded contracts or adopted any of its advisers’ recommendations.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.