Musk returns as US government adviser for Pentagon war project

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is returning to an official advisory role in President Donald Trump’s administration to co-lead a Pentagon study on the future of warfare.

According to Yahoo news, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Project Meridian during a speech at the Quantico military base, describing it as “an effort led by America’s best minds to study the future of warfare.”

“We are leveraging a unique source of American advantage, one our adversaries do not have: our innovators, our senior leaders and our technologists,” Hegseth said.

Musk will co-lead the initiative with Anduril Industries co-founder Palmer Luckey and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Hegseth said the project would “creatively look to the future and identify the domains that we must conquer and capabilities we must master.”

The study will involve selected private-sector leaders and experts from innovation, academia and policy.

Hegseth has ordered the team to complete and submit its findings within 120 days.

Musk previously headed the Department of Government Efficiency before leaving in May 2025.