The US Department of Defense has launched Project Meridian to assess the technology and weapons needed for future warfare, with Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich set to lead the work. The initiative matters because it could shape what capabilities the US military develops and fields, while its leaders’ experience and existing ties to defence contracts raise questions about their suitability and potential conflicts of interest.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s commissioning note says the project will study future battlefields and propose ways to develop, test and deploy capabilities intended to give the US an advantage. None of the three leaders has served in the US military; Musk’s SpaceXAI and Luckey’s Anduril have Pentagon contracts worth up to $4.16 billion, while Gingrich has worked on military-adjacent projects and received an honorary doctorate from Air University. The article also cites recent defence controversies and suggests critics may see the initiative as benefiting allies of the administration.