Leaning into culture war flashpoints, Hegseth says he has transformed U.S. military
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told hundreds of junior military officers and enlisted leaders on Wednesday that the Trump administration has achieved a cultural shift in the military.
On September 30, 2026, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered a State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, outlining six initiatives to shape the future of the US military. Hegseth announced the creation of a four-star autonomous warfare command, Project Agincourt, aimed at accelerating the development and procurement of autonomous systems by collaborating with commercial developers and active-duty forces.
The Pentagon's chief technology officer, Emil Michael, and CEOs Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Palmer Luckey of Anduril, and Newt Gingrich will lead Project Meridian, which seeks to identify potential future battlefields and technologies to master in the coming decades. A third initiative, Fortress America, focuses on enhancing military resilience and self-reliance, ensuring installations can generate their own power and secure supply chains, even in the face of large-scale attacks or global disruptions.
Hegseth also emphasized the importance of religious and patriotic ideals within the military, establishing a new Office of Religious Affairs to support chaplains and religious activities.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Pete Hegseth's got a new vision for the military. It leans on drone swarms, chaplains, and tech leaders like Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey. businessinsider.com
- Hegseth says American forces have ‘destroyed’ Iran’s military middleeasteye.net
- Hegseth invites governors to bid for 'next great American base' thehill.com
