Six initiatives announced at Quantico
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico to announce six new programmes that will shape the department's direction. He spoke directly to mid-ranking officers and non-commissioned officers rather than senior Pentagon staff, saying the changes are meant to be carried out at ground level.
The centrepiece is the Autonomous Warfare Command, which the department says will become a four-star functional combatant command by 1 October 2027. Officials describe it as the fastest peacetime operational shift in modern US military history. It builds on the Drone Dominance programme, which has sent thousands of robotic systems to the Middle East.
New command and drone project
Project Agincourt will lead work on uncrewed systems and will be run by the Direct Reporting Program Manager for Unmanned Systems. Hegseth named Owen West, the current director of the Defense Innovation Unit, and Navy SEAL Senior Chief Max Strasiser to lead it as a chief executive and chief operating officer pairing. The department published the pathway memo on 30 September.
Another initiative, FORTRESS America, is described as a readiness programme covering resilience, troop resources, energy, supply and survivability. Its stated aim is to reduce reliance on foreign sources for rare earths, microchips, weapon components and civilian power for bases.
Other programmes
America's Corps of Cadets will add full-time cadet programmes at five partner schools: Louisiana State University, Liberty University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University and Hillsdale College. Each will be named a Distinguished Military College with priority in officer commissioning.
The department also announced the Next Great American Base project, an Office of Religious Affairs reporting directly to the secretary, and Project Meridian, which will work with private companies on future systems. Critics have questioned the cost and whether the new structures duplicate existing commands, while supporters say speed matters more than tradition at this point. Congress will need to fund several of the programmes in the 2027 budget.