U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unveiled major changes to the U.S. military during his “State of the Force” address, including the introduction of the Office of Religious Affairs and efforts to assert long-time military superiority.
Autonomous Warfare Command
During the address, Secretary Hegseth announced the launch of the Autonomous Warfare Command.
The initiative aims to create a new four-star command to oversee “the fastest peacetime operational shift in modern military history, designed to scale autonomous warfare across the Joint Force,” according to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) website.
"Project Meridian"
To ensure the U.S. military’s long-term superiority and technological dominance, Secretary Hegseth also announced “Project Meridian.” An initiative led in part by Elon Musk and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich to discover, develop, and field future weapons.
America's Corps of Cadets
The Pentagon will also be establishing a new program called America’s Corps of Cadets.
The initiative expands the current Corps of Cadets with new institutions – Louisiana State University, Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University, and Hillsdale College – to establish new full-time programs.
“The program addresses the need for more officers grounded in the Constitution, Western civilization, American heritage, and the warrior ethos at a time when many traditional commissioning sources have drifted from those foundations,” the Department of Defense wrote in its press release.
FORTRESS America
The DoD will also launch the Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability (FORTRESS) America readiness program.
The initiative ensures every major U.S. military installation produces its own power, ending the U.S.’s reliance on foreign production for items like rare earths, microchips, and weapons.
The Next Great American Base
The Next Great American Base is a new measure set to develop improved military facilities.
The bases will be engineered to operate off the commercial grid with their own power generation, autonomous systems, and advanced air defenses.
