Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of Defense hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Defense, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., June 11, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced plans to establish a four-star Autonomous Warfare Command (AutoWarCom) as well as the stand-up of Project Meridian, led by tech CEOs Palmer Luckey and Elon Musk as well as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), which he described as “an effort led by America's best minds to study the future of warfare.” In a “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth said another new initiative called Project…