The Pentagon has assigned Elon Musk to lead "Project Meridian," an initiative to research and develop future warfare technologies for the U.S. military. The project will involve collaborations with Anduril Defense company founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael taking primary responsibility.
The Pentagon has set a deadline of 120 days for the research findings to be submitted in a report. The investigation will cover areas ranging from deep underground locations to the space between Earth and the Moon, with a focus on cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, robotics, energy-based weapons, and biotechnology.
Additionally, the Pentagon is preparing to launch a separate autonomous warfare command unit called AutoWarCom in October 2027 to expand the military's operational use of drones and robotic systems. Project Meridian is not a direct weapons development initiative, but rather a preparatory study to anticipate and plan for future military capabilities that may emerge in the coming decades.
Ref: Technology Innovation
