War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday laid out a recipe for a sweeping military overhaul, outlining multiple major policy shifts and new initiatives ranging from a four-star command dedicated to drones and robotic warfare to a new military base and a study of future warfare to be co-led by Elon Musk. Hegseth unveiled the plans during his “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, where he formally announced six major initiatives while also detailing additional changes involving senior military leadership, military culture and readiness. The War Department said the six initiatives are intended to “govern the Department’s direction for years to come,” while Hegseth presented a broader vision for a military focused on combat readiness, technological innovation, streamlined leadership, and what he described as a renewed warrior culture.
Hegseth announced plans to establish a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, or AUTOWARCOM, to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic systems throughout the military. The initiative specifically encompasses technologies such as drones, autonomous aircraft, unmanned vehicles, robotics, and artificial-intelligence-enabled systems. Reuters reported that the new command is intended to expand the military’s use of autonomous and robotic capabilities and represents a shift toward cheaper, AI-driven systems that can be produced and deployed at scale. Reuters also noted that it would be the first new U.S. military command since U.S. Space Command was established in 2019.
