Hegseth fires a fifth of US generals and admirals, appoints Musk to warfare taskforce

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced a significant restructuring of the military's top brass, confirming a 20% reduction in the number of general and admiral positions. This initiative, detailed during his recent "State of the Force" address, includes both firings and the elimination of roles, with Hegseth stating that officers deemed resistant to civilian control or aligned with "woke" policies have been removed. This reduction builds upon earlier directives for cuts issued in May 2025, and since Hegseth assumed his role, at least 20 senior military and civilian defense leaders have either been dismissed or resigned.

Concurrently, Secretary Hegseth has appointed Elon Musk to co-chair "Project Meridian," a new government task force dedicated to exploring the future of warfare. Musk will lead this effort alongside Palmer Luckey, CEO of defense technology firm Anduril, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The task force's primary objective is to pinpoint the advanced capabilities and technologies essential for the U.S. to achieve technological superiority in future battle scenarios.

Project Meridian is mandated to operate for 120 days, culminating in an unclassified public report that will outline its recommendations for the development, testing, and deployment of cutting-edge weapons and systems. This marks a notable return to government work for Elon Musk. The combined actions of streamlining military leadership and establishing this forward-looking task force signal a clear intent to modernize the Pentagon and sharpen its focus on emerging warfare technologies.