Pentagon launches Project Meridian with Musk, Luckey and Gingrich to assess future war capabilities
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a 120-day initiative, Project Meridian, that will enlist Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich to evaluate the technologies and weapons the U.S. may need in upcoming conflicts.
The Department of Defense announced a new effort, Project Meridian, to examine the future technological needs of the U.S. military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the 120-day study will look decades ahead to determine which domains and capabilities the armed forces must master.
"Project Meridian, the future of warfare, is not about developing new strategies or new policies," Hegseth said, adding that its goal is to "identify the domains that we must conquer, and capabilities we must master."
The initiative will be overseen by Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael, with Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich serving as co-leads. A broader team will be drawn from government, industry, academia and policy circles.
Musk and Luckey will help pinpoint future military technology requirements while their companies continue to secure large Department of Defense contracts. SpaceX recently received contracts worth billions of dollars for satellite systems, and Anduril has been awarded a multi-year contract for counter-drone technology.