Elon Musk will co-lead a new Pentagon study on the future of warfare under Project Meridian, launched by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. The 120-day initiative will assess the military capabilities and technologies the US may need for future conflicts, with Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael overseeing the effort alongside Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich.
The project is intended to look decades ahead rather than shape immediate policy, with the team tasked to identify the domains and systems the US armed forces must master. Hegseth said the work will focus on discovering, developing and fielding capabilities for battlefields ranging from underground environments to space, including the area beyond the moon.
Project Meridian will produce an unclassified public report and a classified annex, placing it in line to influence future procurement priorities in autonomous systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, space and missile defence. Musk’s involvement also renews his formal role in the Trump administration after his previous work on the Department of Government Efficiency.
The appointment is likely to attract scrutiny because SpaceX already holds major Pentagon contracts, while other participants in the review are linked to companies competing for defence business. Public details on the internal structure of the study remain limited to the announcement and subsequent reporting.