US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Project Meridian on Wednesday, an initiative to study how war may be fought as technology advances rapidly. The project will be co-led by Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
The team, which will include individuals from academia and policy, will operate under the direction of Defense Department CTO Emil Michael. Their mandate is to "study the battlefields of the future" and the "weapons and technologies warfighters" may use.
Project Meridian has a 120-day timeframe to submit its findings and propose "actionable solutions to start developing, testing, and fielding" advanced technology. This effort aims to maintain America's position as a dominant military power.
Secretary Hegseth also announced an Autonomous Warfare Command on Wednesday, intended to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous systems and drones. The study will reportedly be conducted through a partner organization, though its identity and leadership were not specified in the announcement.