During his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a 20% cut in generals and admirals—roughly 800 flag‑officer positions—effective Jan. 1, 2027, and announced a new four‑star command to oversee autonomous and robotic warfare.
The reduction doubles the 10% cut approved last spring, tightening the senior officer corps as the Pentagon seeks to streamline decision‑making amid budget pressures.
Hegseth cited the rise of drone dominance in Ukraine and the Iran conflict, arguing that purpose‑built autonomous systems will outpace single‑type drones in future battles.
Senators Mark Kelly and Mike Rounds slammed the move, with Kelly calling it a purge that will take a generation to recover, while Rounds demanded transparency on the rationale.
In addition, Hegseth unveiled a study on the future of warfare featuring Elon Musk, former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Anduril co‑founder Palmer Luckey, and announced that all 50 states could bid to host a new base of 15,000‑25,000 troops, with every installation expected to become self‑powered.