Pentagon creates Autonomous Warfare Command, launches 120-day future-warfare study with Musk, Luckey and Gingrich

Why it matters

The Pentagon is creating a dedicated command structure to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous and unmanned combat systems, signalling a major institutional shift in US defence priorities. The recruitment of Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich to a top-level Pentagon study brings prominent tech-industry and political figures directly into military planning, and the framing of 'absolute' technological dominance marks an unusually explicit strategic goal. The fact that US officials publicly acknowledge a significant drone-production gap with Ukraine, and that Ukrainian firms are being brought into US trials on condition of localizing production, makes Ukraine both a benchmark and a partner in the new US approach.

What happened

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the creation of Autonomous Warfare Command (AutoWarCom), a new Pentagon command tasked with developing and deploying drones, robotic and other autonomous combat systems, and with accelerating the procurement, testing and fielding of unmanned and robotic systems. AutoWarCom is scheduled to begin operations in October 2027 and will be led by a four-star general whose candidacy has not yet been determined; former Marine and ex-Pentagon official Owen West and former SEAL and test pilot Max Strasyzer have been brought into its initial team.

Alongside the new command, the Pentagon is launching Project Meridian, a 120-day study on the future of warfare with results expected in roughly four months. Hegseth recruited SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich to the project; a Pentagon press release says Musk will co-lead it alongside Luckey and Gingrich. Participants are to analyse how new technologies may change the conduct of future combat and propose concepts to the Pentagon, with the stated goal of 'absolute' technological dominance on the next-generation battlefield across domains 'from underground depths to cislunar space.' The final report is to include conclusions, recommendations and a classified annex.

One of the main tasks of the new US strategy is to build a large-scale domestic production chain for low-cost unmanned systems, against a backdrop in which US officials acknowledge the US significantly lags Ukraine in drone manufacturing scale and estimate Ukraine could produce 6–7 million small strike FPV drones in 2026. Six Ukrainian companies have been invited to take part in Gauntlet II trials in the US; all six have established or are establishing joint ventures with American manufacturers, and US-based production localization is a condition for receiving future orders.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

All three supplied articles are from Ukrainian-language media and lead with the recruitment of Elon Musk by the Pentagon, framing it as Musk's return to the US government team around President Trump and as Musk 'once again being in the US government.' The articles foreground AutoWarCom and Project Meridian as Pentagon moves to catch up with Ukraine on drones, and place Ukrainian companies' participation in Gauntlet II trials and their joint ventures with American manufacturers in the same narrative. The Ukrainian framing therefore treats the US institutional shake-up partly through the lens of what it means for Ukraine's own drone sector and for joint US-Ukrainian production.

Where reporting differs

Sources differ on Elon Musk's precise role in Project Meridian. One set of facts says only that Hegseth 'recruited' him to the project, while a later fact, attributed to a Pentagon press release, says Musk will 'co-lead' Project Meridian alongside Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich.

Background

AutoWarCom is scheduled to begin operations in October 2027 and will be led by a four-star general whose identity has not yet been announced. Project Meridian is a 120-day study whose stated goal is 'absolute' technological dominance on the next-generation battlefield, covering warfare domains 'from underground depths to cislunar space.' US officials estimate Ukraine could produce 6–7 million small strike FPV drones in 2026. In April 2025, US President Trump announced that DOGE, which Musk had led, would cease operations; at the end of May 2026, Reuters reported that SpaceX had achieved a fivefold increase in the cost of Starlink connectivity for US military needs.