Pentagon Names Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to Help Study Future Warfare

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched Project Meridian during a “State of the Force” address, framing it as an effort to study how war may be fought as technology advances rapidly. Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will co-lead the project. The group will work under Defense Department CTO Emil Michael and focus on future battlefields, weapons, and technologies that warfighters may use.

The Project Meridian team has 120 days to submit findings and propose actionable solutions to begin developing, testing, and fielding advanced military technology. The size of the team is unclear, and the Pentagon’s announcement says the study will come through a partner organization without naming that organization or its leadership. After TechCrunch requested comment, the Defense Department referred to a press release and said it had nothing further to provide beyond the secretary’s comments.

Hegseth also announced an Autonomous Warfare Command meant to speed development and deployment of autonomous systems and drones. That move underscores the administration’s emphasis on advanced military technology and its interest in working with Silicon Valley-approved companies. For readers tracking defense tech, the key point is that the Pentagon is pairing strategic planning with a push toward faster fielding of autonomy-focused systems.

Musk and Luckey both have companies already connected to defense-relevant technology. SpaceX launches satellites for the U.S. government and operates a satellite network that supports national defense and security missions, while Anduril builds autonomous military systems and drones. TechCrunch notes that critics could argue their Project Meridian roles align with their business interests because their companies sell technologies the study could recommend.