Project Meridian, Pentagon taps Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich

techOct 1, 202623526

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Project Meridian, a 120-day study on the future of warfare co-led by Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The team will work under Defense Department CTO Emil Michael and must produce findings and “actionable solutions to start developing, testing, and fielding” advanced technologies to keep the United States dominant on future battlefields. Hegseth also created an Autonomous Warfare Command to accelerate development and deployment of autonomous systems and drones. TechCrunch reports the project will be run through an unnamed partner organization and the announcement did not disclose how many people will serve on the team. The coverage notes Musk’s recent renewed ties to the administration and Musk’s and Luckey’s companies already hold government contracts in space and autonomous systems, respectively. TechCrunch noted critics could argue that appointing two executives with defense contracts aligns the study with companies that stand to benefit. The Pentagon provided no additional comment beyond Hegseth’s remarks and a press release referenced by the outlet.

Mr. Spock 🖖

@spockresists.bsky.social

The Pentagon’s premier casting director, Pete Hegseth, has just unveiled America's ultimate weapon to dominate the next century of combat: Project Meridian. It’s a 120-day blitzkrieg of future warfare study co-led by the ultimate, highly specialised tactical elite: Elon Musk,

15010h ago

Mr. Spock 🖖24

VR boy Palmer Luckey, and 83-year-old Newt Gingrich. The Avengers have truly assembled, if the Avengers were an angrier version of Silicon Valley Comic-Con. Standing at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hegseth delivered a "State of the Force" masterclass in military restructuring. To

"Whiskey" Callahan7

TRANSLATION: He intends to send your sons and daughters to die in foreign wars to further enrich corporations and billionaire oligarchs. Anyone who objects will be labeled with childish insults and branded as cowards for refusing to die for literally nothing but their crooked stock portfolios.

maquoit.bsky.social7

Hegseth is so out of his depth that it's frightening. His schoolboy labels and emotional immaturity should disqualify him immediately for the job of Secretary of War! Ask everyone you know to vote for this to change in the coming elections! Everyone needs to just do it and we'll be so much safer.

PhunkyPunk Ⓐ5

Excellent synopsis! I find it hilarious to watch the Americans not just shooting themselves in both feet, but doing so using an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Rouleur4

The projection is strong in this one.

enrich124

Definitely a case of Low-T. #PeteHegseth

Quoting this

Tina - Release the #EpsteinFiles|Resistbot Text RESIST to 504092

🥃 Pete needs to be impeached and now is not too soon. He’s a fucking menace.

S.E. Danesti

@seedanesti.bsky.social

Hegseth: I am announcing Project Meridian. It will be co-led by 3 of our nation's best minds. Palmer Luckey, Elon Musk, and Newt Gingrich. These are our best minds? Seriously?? This is like saying that Enron is our best company. What the f*ck is Hegseth smoking?!?

724h ago

Liz19731

Newt?? Let me tell you about Newt's scam with the Business Roundtable" asking company prez to donate 1K just to get a robo call . . . and that was a decade ago! He is senile!~

Larry Tenney

@larrytenney.bsky.social

Yesterday Whiskey Pete Hegseth said “No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals” would be a part of “his” Defense Dept Then violates that edict by naming Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey & Newt Gingrich to a DoD Task Force he’s calling Project Meridian

546h ago

Raffy5

No radicals? Well that removes Petie boy.

mommeeeforever.bsky.social3

He is actually using those people to validate his own bizarre "decree" to the US military for “No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals,” and still expects to be taken seriously?

Seth Cotlar

@sethcotlar.bsky.social

Not sure why they called it “Project Meridian” when “Project Nostradumbass” was right there.

779h ago

conifergirl.bsky.social

@conifergirl.bsky.social

“A board loaded with defense contractors and one draft-dodging war hawk will decide the future of the US military,” said one observer. “What could possibly go wrong?” www.commondreams.org/news/hegseth...

346h ago

Ulrike Franke

@rikefranke.eu

The US military is creating a new Autonomous Warfare Command, or AUTOWARCOM, that will have “service-like authorities built to scale autonomous and robotic capabilities across the joint force”. breakingdefense.com/2026/09/hegs...

378h ago

Ulrike Franke23

“Hegseth also talked about Project Meridian, an effort to study the future of warfare, that will be co-lead by SpaceX boss Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich” Not sure about its members, but the effort is useful. Can we do that in Germany too please?

George William Herbert1

Remove generals: check New 4-star command: ???…

Thomas Wassermann1

@rikefranke.eu Inspired by Slaughterbots, Black Mirror, Second Variety, Watchbird etc ... Allesamt Dystopien ... Orwellsche Verhältnisse

Quoting this

Ulrike Franke66

AUTOWARCOM is a truly terrible name though

Zach Everson25

Crazy-good foresight that Don Jr. and Eric had to invest in drone companies! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lindsay P Cohn6

My students from last year, who (in their final project) basically recommended doing this, would like credit tyvm

Andy Scollick5

Just what the world needs: drunk robots.

Jonathan

@jonathansocials.com

Hegseth, supposedly seeking humility and outside expertise, hands future warfare planning to billionaire defense contractors whose companies stand to profit massively.

134h ago

myya11-2.bsky.social1

I am so tired of these MUTHETFUCKERS😡 The American people are catching hell while these MUTHETFUCKERS are getting rich and living the good life😡 As I have written before, anyone that votes Republican is a damn fool, racists or certifiably insane😡

Kirsten Verdel

@locuta.bsky.social

- Oorlogsminister Hegseth kondigt Project Meridian aan, een initiatief om de toekomst van oorlogsvoering te onderzoeken. Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey en Newt Gingrich leiden het project samen.

2211h ago

tooflower.bsky.social2

Twee mannen met belangen in de defensie industrie en een man van ruim 80 jaar; dat gaat helemaal goed komen! De drone research club die Hegseth heeft opgeheven was helemaal niet nodig /s

Wim Ceulemans1

Zelfbediening voor Musk en zijn vrienden bij Palantir (Peter Thiel, Alex Karp).

Anton Van Gramberen1

Had beter een paar capabele mensen gevraagd voor die waanzinnige oorlog tegen Iran te beginnen. Gewoon luisteren naar zijn generaals had overigens ook volstaan.

Milonguero Cyclista 💃🏼🕺🏼🚲1

What could possibly go wrong.

NiVaGi1

Zoek EM een afzetmarkt voor zijn Optimus robots?

Midterms 2026 Vote!

@ambientvisions.bsky.social

www.commondreams.org/news/hegseth... letting a traitor like #felonmusk anywhere near weapons & control of warfare is a major mistake that will come back to haunt the US & the world in the next couple of years. Best minds? If they are the best minds then this country is already doomed. #voteblue

78h ago

Anthony B,

@swearyanthony.bsky.social

Hahahaha fuck I just looked up what that Hegseth "Project Meridian" is and fucken wow it's gonna be sooooo much AI slop renders.

910h ago

PEIPolitical 🇨🇦

@peipolitical.bsky.social

Whiskey Pete - "Project Meridian will be co-led by three of our nation's best minds: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich" #cdnpoli

68h ago

mrspanstreppon

@jamiepeppard.bsky.social

Lol. Whenever I see Palmer Luckey's name, I can't help but think of his sister, Ginger, who married Matt Gaetz. Luckey girl!

64h ago

Ray Beckerman

@raybeckerman.bsky.social

[OMG] 'Best Minds'? Hegseth Taps Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich to Lead 'Future of Warfare' Project www.commondreams.org/news/hegseth...

45h ago

Ray Oday - I live where my real name would have me disappeared

@rayoday.bsky.social

Oy vey! El-ron, Newt (isn't he dead yet or is he still fucking up), and Palmer Luckey - nickname for a guy who works at a Thai gay bar. "Well, I've been to one world's fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones."

48h ago

The Defence Blog

@defence-blog.com

The Pentagon has asked Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich to figure out where America's future wars will be fought and what weapons it will need. defence-blog.com/pentagon-tap...

39h ago

3 sources

cnbc.comElon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich to help Pentagon with warfare initiative, Hegseth says washingtonpost.comElon Musk to return his attention to government, advise Pentagon on future of war techcrunch.comThe Pentagon taps Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey to help decide what the military should do next | TechCrunch

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Project Meridian, Pentagon taps Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich

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