Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced six new military initiatives during a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Speaking to 600 officers and enlisted service members, he outlined creation of a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command focused on building autonomous and robotic capabilities across the military.
The Pentagon is also launching Project Meridian, under which the Pentagon's chief technology officer will partner with members of the private sector to study the future of warfare and identify domains the military must master to achieve technological and military dominance on the battlefield, Hegseth said.
A third initiative, called Fortress America, would eventually have every American military installation run under its own power and harden installations against intrusion. The Pentagon is also launching The Next Great American Base, which Hegseth described as a "dynamic, self-sustaining power projection platform." States can submit proposals to host the installation, which would house 15,000 to 25,000 troops.
The Pentagon is expanding officer commissioning programs through America's Corps of Cadets, partnering with six universities to increase the number of military leaders. Additionally, Hegseth announced creation of an Office of Religious Affairs that will report directly to the Secretary's office and provide religious support to troops.