Pete Hegseth Launches Project Meridian to Shape Future Warfare

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched Project Meridian on Wednesday in Quantico, Virginia, as a Pentagon initiative to determine the future of warfare. The project is led by Emil Michael, a Pentagon official and former Uber executive.

Hegseth appointed tech billionaires Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey, both prominent donors to the MAGA movement, to advisory roles within the initiative. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich also joined the project.

Critics have raised concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest because Musk's SpaceX and Luckey's Anduril hold or seek federal defense contracts. Musk is currently involved in the Golden Dome ballistic missile defense project. Luckey has advocated for subterranean warfare systems, claiming Anduril possesses working prototypes for vehicles that can move through the earth's crust.