'For 21st century & beyond': US launches 'Project Meridian' to prepare for future wars

President Pete Hegseth has announced the launch of Project Meridian, a new Pentagon initiative designed to prepare the United States military for the challenges of future warfare in the 21st century and beyond. The project will be led by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Project Meridian will focus on studying rapid advances in artificial intelligence, autonomy, directed energy, robotics, and biotechnology. These technologies are expected to dramatically alter the nature of warfare. The Pentagon memorandum outlines that the project will identify critical capability gaps in future battlefields, propose actionable solutions, and propose strategies to foster the development, testing, and deployment of necessary weapons and systems.

Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael will facilitate the project, with the leadership expected to hold its first meeting on Wednesday. The project's focus is on "discovering, developing, and fielding the weapons and systems that our children and grandchildren will need in their lifetimes." The final findings and recommendations from Project Meridian will be submitted within 120 days of the announcement, with a deadline set for January 28, 2027.

Anduril Industries and SpaceX, both with major Pentagon contracts, will contribute to the project, with Anduril providing jammers, interceptors, rocket motors, and robo-wingmen. Project Meridian aims to bring together technologists, innovators, business leaders, policymakers, and national security experts outside the Pentagon to examine both current and future conflicts, and to develop a strategy to maintain America's technological advantage through the 21st century and beyond.