Hegseth harks back to Battle of Agincourt for US hi-tech weapons' overhaul

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew parallels between the English archers' victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and a proposed overhaul of American military drone technology, referring to the initiative as Project Agincourt. The 15th-century battle, where English forces defeated a larger French army using longbows, inspired the new autonomous warfare command initiative to revamp the way the US military acquires, tests, and employs drones and other advanced weapons.

Hegseth highlighted Ukraine's experience as a lesson that no specific drone type guarantees war victory, emphasizing the need for adaptable, purpose-built systems. He likened the integration of skilled archers with fletchers, who crafted and repaired arrows, to the modern approach of incorporating diverse expertise to enhance the rate of fire.

Hegseth forecasted the rollout of autonomous and robotic capabilities would mark "the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history," with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk set to lead a study on the future of warfare. The defense chief also announced a reduction in senior military ranks and vowed to eradicate "woke" culture, describing the force as transitioning from a "woke department" to an all-volunteer, tough, and committed military.

Hegseth condemned "woke" and "radical" elements, vowing to remove "weirdos, wimps, and radicals," and defended his crackdown on divisive culture, emphasizing unity over diversity in a "national betrayal" scenario. He criticized the media for intentionally smearing the troops and their mission, calling it "treason" and affirming that partisan activism undermining the troops was fundamentally anti-American.