Hegseth announces 20% cut to US generals and new Autonomous Warfare Command

Restructuring military leadership

Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a 20% cut to general and admiral positions across the United States armed forces. The reduction combines a 10% dismissal of existing senior commanders with a 10% decrease in total authorized flag officer billets, with full implementation set for 1 January 2027. Hegseth addressed junior officers and enlisted personnel during his annual State of the Force speech, framing the removals as an overdue effort to reduce bureaucracy.

“The media calls that a purge. I call it accountability, and long overdue.”

The armed services counted 831 active-duty generals and admirals in May 2025, and official Pentagon figures recorded 851 by the end of July 2026. These senior officers command more than 1.3 million active-duty personnel alongside nearly 800,000 members of the National Guard and reserves. The planned cuts follow earlier dismissals carried out by Hegseth, including the removal of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti in February 2025, as well as the early September resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.

Autonomous Warfare Command and technology spending

Hegseth announced the creation of Autonomous Warfare Command, known as AutoWarCom, to lead the development and fielding of uncrewed systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence across all military branches. The four-star command will possess service-like authorities to directly acquire and field hardware, making it the first new combatant-level command established since United States Space Command in 2019.

“The pace of war is changing faster than the process to support it.”

AutoWarCom will take up to a year to establish, during which an interim initiative named Project Agincourt will direct autonomous development. The military branches will also introduce dedicated occupational specialties for troops operating robotic systems. The reorganization builds on a June directive that consolidated uncrewed programs under a single office, covering both the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group and Joint Interagency Task Force 401. To finance the expansion, the Pentagon requested $54.6 billion for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group in its fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, up from $226 million. The move follows seven months of war with Iran, during which low-cost drones have caused American casualties.

Current level0.226

FY2027 budget request54.6

Current level

0.226 $B

FY2027 budget request

54.6 $B

Data from the article text

Advisory councils and internal service policies

The Pentagon is also launching Project Meridian, an advisory initiative tasked with evaluating future military technologies and doctrine. Coordinated by Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael, the project will be co-led by SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. In addition, Hegseth announced the establishment of an Office of Religious Affairs and unveiled plans to construct the first new United States military base in 40 years.

Hegseth paired these organizational directives with internal policy changes, including mandatory testosterone deficiency testing for male troops, a comprehensive review of women in ground combat formations, and the termination of diversity programs.

“Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors - just tough, ready, committed troops.”