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

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that SpaceX chief Elon Musk will co-lead a new government initiative examining the future of warfare, marking Musk's first return to government work since heading the so-called "department of government efficiency," or Doge.

Joining Musk will be Palmer Luckey, CEO of defense technology company Anduril, and Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the House. The initiative has been named Project Meridian.

Goal and timeline

According to a Defense Department press release, the project's goal is to identify the capabilities needed to achieve "absolute technological dominance on the next-generation battlefield." The project will run for 120 days and conclude with an unclassified public report of recommendations.

The effort will examine how the US military could use emerging technologies and conduct warfare in untested terrains, including underground and on the moon.

Musk's return to government

The project marks Musk's return to government work more than a year after his controversial leadership of Doge, which gutted federal agencies without achieving its stated cost-cutting goals. It also signals that Musk has regained favor with the Trump administration following a dramatic falling-out with the president last year.

Unlike Doge, which drew heavy public criticism and boycotts of some of Musk's products, the new project appears set to demand far less of his time.

In a memo, Hegseth said rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics and biotechnology would profoundly change the nature of warfare, requiring the US to anticipate future operational environments and act decisively.

Both Musk and Luckey hold extensive defense contracts through their companies, with Anduril's business built largely around government purchases of its products. Gingrich previously served on the Defense Policy Board starting in December 2020 but was dismissed less than three months later after Joe Biden took office.