Hegseth announces new autonomous weapons command while repeating attacks on “woke” culture during speech to troops

Pentagon Unveils Autonomous Warfare Command as Hegseth Returns to Quantico

Earthguardiansonline.com – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a Wednesday address at Quantico, Virginia, to announce a new Pentagon command dedicated to autonomous warfare, placing artificial intelligence, robotics and unmanned weapons closer to the center of future military planning.

The new Autonomous Warfare Command will be headed by a four-star general, an indication that the Defense Department intends to give the organization major influence over military operations, planning and force development. Hegseth framed the move as a structural response to rapid technological changes visible on modern battlefields.

The autonomous and robotic revolution has enormous implications for equipment, doctrine, organization, and the assumptions that have governed warfare for decades. Lasting change must be anchored in military command structures.

Hegseth pointed to lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine, where drones and other unmanned systems have become deeply integrated into combat, surveillance and targeting. Alongside the command, the Pentagon plans a related initiative called Project Agincourt, intended to reshape the way the military buys, evaluates and deploys drones and comparable weapons systems.

A New Focus on Technology and Force Structure

The announcement places autonomous systems within a formal military command framework rather than treating them solely as a procurement or research priority. That approach could affect how the armed forces organize units, train personnel and prepare equipment for future conflicts.

Project Agincourt is designed to address the pipeline between development and fielding, a key issue for technology that can evolve more quickly than traditional defense acquisition programs. Hegseth’s remarks suggested that the Pentagon sees drones, robotics and AI-enabled capabilities as requiring changes beyond the purchase of new hardware.

The audience also included several prominent figures from technology and politics: Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Palmer Luckey, founder and chief executive of defense technology company Anduril. Hegseth said the three men will lead Project Meridian, a new study group focused on the future of warfare.

Renewed Criticism of Military Culture

While the speech emphasized autonomous weapons and technological change, Hegseth also returned to arguments he has repeatedly made about the culture of the armed forces. He said additional reductions in senior officer ranks were needed as part of his effort to remove what he calls “woke” policies from the military.

He raised the target for reducing general and flag officer positions to 20%, doubling the 10% reduction for generals and admirals that he had ordered in a May 2025 memorandum. The military branches have already cut the number of available four-star positions, a change that has pushed some senior officers into retirement or departure from service.

Hegseth has dismissed more than two dozen senior officers across the armed forces, frequently without detailed public explanations. Those moves have generated concern among lawmakers from both political parties.

The friction surrounding the personnel changes was among the factors behind former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s resignation. Driscoll had raised concerns within the administration about Army transformation, readiness and the removal of generals involved in those efforts.

A Different Audience at the Same Base

The Quantico event took place one year after Hegseth’s September 30, 2025 address to a gathering of generals and admirals at the same base. In that earlier appearance, he denounced what he termed “the woke department” and laid out his preferred vision for the force, including his opposition to “fat troops” and “beardos.”

He also said the Trump administration would “rip out the politics” of the Pentagon, arguing that the department’s sole focus should be “warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win.”

This year, Hegseth’s office invited roughly 600 junior officers and noncommissioned officers, shifting the focus toward leaders responsible for much of the military’s daily execution and unit-level work. Although the guest list changed, many of the cultural themes from the previous Quantico speech remained part of his message.

Hegseth also criticized media coverage of U.S. military operations, comparing aspects of that coverage to “treason,” even as he acknowledged that a “free press” remains “important.”

Iraq Withdrawal Marks Another Turning Point

The address coincided with the completion of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The departure closes the Iraq phase of a mission begun in 2014, when ISIS seized major cities and territory across Iraq and Syria.

Together, the end of that deployment and the launch of an autonomous warfare command underscore the Pentagon’s shifting priorities. The department is closing one chapter rooted in the campaign against ISIS while investing greater attention in technologies expected to shape future combat.

Hegseth’s announcement leaves major practical questions for the new command, including how it will coordinate with existing service organizations, acquisition programs and operational units. Its four-star leadership and the accompanying Project Agincourt effort, however, signal that autonomous warfare is being elevated from an emerging capability to a central institutional priority.