According to reports from Axios News and The Guardian on October 1, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis announced on September 30 that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, founder of the defense technology company Andorell, and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich will lead a research project at the Pentagon on future forms of warfare.
This is Musk's first official appointment as a consultant role under the Trump administration after he left the "Government Efficiency Department" in May of last year.
Hagness said that this project, called “Project Meridian,” aims to bring together American innovators, senior leaders, and technology experts, with the goal of developing creative solutions to future conflicts.
According to Hagee, under the leadership of Amir Michael, the Undersecretary for Research and Engineering at the U.S. Department of Defense, Musk, Larkin, and Gingrich will “focus on discovering, developing, and deploying weapons and systems that our descendants will need throughout their lives.” They will do this “without any creative limitations or restrictions on future battlefield spaces—from underground to beyond the moon.”
Michael said in December last year when discussing the American defense industry that he hoped to see "another five companies like Antler, Palantir, and SpaceX" grow and thrive.
According to reports, when Hageceas announced this news, Musk and two others were present at the Pentagon.
Both companies owned by Musk and Larki have signed large contracts with the Pentagon. SpaceX is an important pillar of the United States' national security launch missions, while Anduril provides military forces with equipment such as jamming devices, interception systems, rocket engines, and unmanned drones.
According to the plan, the leadership team of the ‘Meridian Project’ held their first meeting on September 30. Hergeseth stated that the final research results are expected to be available within 120 days, at which time a public report will be released, along with a confidential report.
Musk provided significant financial and political support to Trump during the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. After Trump took office, Musk led the "Government Efficiency Department" (DOGE), working for Trump as a "special government employee."
Last year, Musk publicly broke with Trump due to policy differences, and he left the Trump administration at the end of May 2025. However, their relationship gradually improved over time.
The Wall Street Journal reported in August this year that Trump privately stated that he and Musk would never be as close again as they used to be. However, people familiar with the matter revealed that the two have resumed communication, with about one conversation per month, discussing topics such as artificial intelligence and international affairs.
