Musk and tech leaders join US military review
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appointed Elon Musk, defense tech founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to lead a 120-day Pentagon study on future warfare.
The advisory panel, dubbed “Project Meridian,” aims to identify the capabilities required for the United States to secure technological dominance on next-generation battlefields, according to an official Pentagon statement. The initiative will culminate in a public, unclassified report outlining strategic recommendations.
Expanding Into Subterranean and Lunar Warfare
The panel will evaluate how the US armed forces can leverage emerging technologies across under-explored operational environments, including subterranean spaces and the Moon, The Guardian reported.
“We are witnessing rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics, and biotechnology, among other critical tech areas,” Hegseth said in a memorandum. “Together, these new domains, new ways of warfighting, and technological developments will fundamentally alter the character of war.”
Hegseth added that Washington must anticipate emerging operating theaters and develop dominant tools to retain its global military advantage.
Tech Contracts and Political Realignment
Musk's involvement marks his formal return to government advisory duties following his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in 2025. His previous federal appointment focused on spending reductions across agencies and drew public controversy before an eventual political estrangement from Donald Trump.
The initiative also places two major defense contractors at the center of military policy design. Musk’s SpaceX and Luckey’s Anduril hold substantial contracts with the Department of Defense, raising potential scrutiny over the commercial interests tied to future military procurement recommendations.
The third co-leader, Newt Gingrich, previously served on the Defense Policy Board during the final weeks of the first Trump administration in late 2020 before being removed shortly after the Biden administration assumed office.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
