Oct 05, 2026 16:24 pm IST

Opinion | Hegseth Is Overhauling America's War Machine. Why India Should Be Watching Closely

Brig (Retd) Anil Raman Brig (Retd) Anil Raman Columnist

Brig (Retd) Anil Raman Columnist

On September 30, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced six reforms at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

A new Autonomous Warfare Command

Project Meridian, a study of future warfare

FORTRESS America, which aims to take US military bases off the civilian power grid and bring critical supply chains home

A new showpiece base, with states competing to host it

A new cadet program at five universities

An Office of Religious Affairs reporting directly to the Secretary

Some of these reforms are about domestic politics. But two tackle a challenge all major militaries, including India's, now face. Wars are changing faster than military bureaucracies can keep up. The Autonomous Warfare Command is Washington's way to speed up how the military modernises weapons. Project Meridian addresses what those updates should be.

A Command Built To Adapt

The Autonomous Warfare Command will be a four-star command responsible for drones, robots, and other autonomous systems across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. The target date is October 2027. Until then, an interim effort called Project Agincourt will prepare the ground.

The leadership approach is different from the usual. Owen West, head of the Pentagon's Defence Innovation Unit, and Max Strasiser, a senior Navy SEAL, will lead Agincourt, working together like a CEO and COO. Their job, which Hegseth calls 'warfighting acquisition', is to have soldiers, engineers, and companies work in short cycles: build a system, test it in exercises or combat, fix what doesn't work, and buy more of what does. This means decisions and funding will shift from Pentagon offices to the commanders and units using the equipment.

The goals of this measure are: the department needs to build a wartime arsenal that focuses on adapting quickly. In practice, the Pentagon will judge its success........

© NDTV