Pete Hegseth appoints Elon Musk to US taskforce on future of warfare

Pete Hegseth has named Elon Musk co-lead of Project Meridian, a 120-day defense initiative charged with identifying the capabilities needed for “absolute technological dominance” on future battlefields and producing an unclassified public report. Musk will serve alongside Palmer Luckey, founder of defense firm Anduril, and Newt Gingrich. The project will map how advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics, biotechnology and other emerging tech will reshape warfare and explore operations in novel environments including subterranean depths and the moon. The stated goal is to anticipate future operational environments and recommend tools and investments to sustain U.S. dominance.

This marks Musk’s return to government after a turbulent stint leading a Trump-era efficiency office that dismantled federal programs and failed to deliver promised savings, a tenure that provoked public backlash. Both Musk and Luckey also have extensive Pentagon contracts through their companies, with Anduril selling hardware and systems directly to the government. Gingrich, who briefly served on a past defense policy board, has long promoted concerns such as electromagnetic-pulse threats. The lineup underscores close ties between tech entrepreneurs and the defense establishment as officials seek private-sector direction on next-generation military capabilities.