Elon Musk appointed co-leader of Pentagon's Project Meridian to study future warfare

The U.S. Department of Defense said Elon Musk will serve as a co-leader of Project Meridian, a Pentagon-initiated study aimed at assessing the future of warfare. The announcement was made by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth during a speech at the Quantico military base, where he described the effort as "an effort led by America's best minds to study the future of warfare" and noted that it will draw on "our innovators, our senior leaders and our technologists."

Musk will share leadership of the project with Palmer Luckey, co-founder of defense-technology firm Anduril Industries, and former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich. Hegseth said the study will identify new domains and capabilities the United States must master, with findings due within 120 days.

Musk previously headed the Department of Government Efficiency, overseeing reductions in federal staffing before leaving the role in May 2025. His companies, including SpaceX and the AI firm xAI, are already major contractors for the Pentagon.

In recent months Musk has resumed visible involvement with the Trump administration, attending a White House AI safety summit and a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, and has continued to make sizable contributions to Republican political campaigns.