Hegseth Taps Musk, Luckey and Gingrich for Pentagon Warfare Project

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has brought Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich into a 120-day Pentagon effort to identify the technologies and military capabilities the United States may need in future conflicts.

The initiative, called Project Meridian, will examine how warfare could evolve over the coming years and decades. Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Luckey is a defense technology entrepreneur and Anduril co-founder, and Gingrich is a former speaker of the House.

Hegseth said the project is intended to determine which areas of warfare require U.S. investment and which capabilities the military must master to preserve its technological advantage. “Project Meridian, the future of warfare, is not about developing new strategies or new policies,” he said.

The initiative places prominent technology and political figures at the center of a Pentagon review that could shape priorities for defense technology companies and related markets. Its next stated step is a 120-day examination of future warfare and the capabilities the military will require.