The US Department of Defense announced a new initiative, Project Meridian, to identify technological needs for future wars. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated it will study battlefields of the future, identify weapons and technologies warfighters need, and propose actionable solutions for US dominance in the 21st century.
The endeavor will be led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich. None have served in the US military. However, Musk's SpaceX and Luckey's Anduril have existing Pentagon contracts worth up to $4.16 billion. Gingrich has no obvious tech ties but worked adjacent to the military and received an honorary doctorate from Air University.
Considering the Defense Department has already leaked classified war plans, narrowly avoided an international incident after relying on an AI-generated report, and illegally designated Anthropic a supply chain risk, the military could benefit from guidance. A cynic might think Project Meridian sounds like a way to give more power and money to friends of the current administration.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing