US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a 20% reduction in military general and admiral positions by January 1, 2027, alongside a new four-star command focused on autonomous and robotic warfare.
The measures were outlined in his annual “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Hegseth announced the Autonomous Warfare Command (Autowarcom) to expand the use of drones, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems across the US military.
He cited changing battlefield technology, including lessons from Ukraine and Iran, as reasons for accelerating the effort.
The Pentagon also plans a study on the future of warfare involving Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey.
Hegseth announced an Office of Religious Affairs, plans for a new military base and a push towards greater energy self-sufficiency at military installations.
The planned reduction doubles the 10% cut previously ordered for roughly 800 senior officer positions.
Pentagon officials said the changes can involve eliminating positions or lowering the rank attached to future posts rather than immediately dismissing serving officers.
The announcements come as the US remains engaged in the Iran war, while military officials face questions over weapons-stockpile levels and the pace of adapting to drone warfare.
Some lawmakers have questioned the scale and timing of the leadership changes, while the Pentagon has presented them as part of a broader restructuring.
