Elon Musk Appointed as Government Advisor to Lead State Projects
The Pentagon has appointed Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to assist in determining the technologies and weaponry required by the United States military for future warfare.
Musk will lead an initiative known as Project Meridian, alongside defence technology entrepreneur and Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The project aims to identify the military capabilities, technologies, and weapons that the US may require over the coming years and decades.
US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated that Project Meridian will run for 120 days to map how warfare may change and what technologies the US military needs to maintain its technological edge. “Project Meridian, the future of warfare, is not about developing new strategies or policies,” Hegseth said, as reported by CNBC International on Monday.
According to Hegseth, the project aims to identify the domains and capabilities that must be mastered. He noted that Project Meridian will focus on discovering, developing, and deploying weapons and systems that US forces may need on future battlefields, ranging from underground environments to the Moon.
The Pentagon will involve its defence technology chief, Emil Michael, to oversee the project, while Musk, Luckly, and Gingrich will serve as co-leaders. The broader team will also include representatives from government, industry, academia, and policymakers.
Musk’s appointment has drawn significant attention because the companies he leads already hold substantial business with the US Department of Defence. SpaceX, in particular, holds numerous Pentagon contracts. In May, the Space Force awarded SpaceX a US$4.16 billion contract to build satellites designed to track and target aerial threats. A few days prior, SpaceX also secured a US$2.29 billion contract for a military satellite communications network.
Luckey also holds significant business interests in the defence sector through Anduril, a company that develops autonomous weapons and various military technologies. In 2025, the US Marine Corps awarded Anduril a contract worth up to US$642 million for drone deterrent systems.
The three leaders of Project Meridian do not have prior experience serving in the US military. Musk, for instance, moved to Canada as a teenager, partly to avoid military service in South Africa, according to his own admission.
The appointment is part of a broader Pentagon move to expand the use of autonomous systems in warfare. On the same day, Hegseth also announced plans to establish a new Autonomous Warfare Command with four-star command status to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic systems within the US military environment.
Tesla, SpaceX, Anduril, and Gingrich have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the appointment.