Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Wednesday to announce a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command — AutoWarCom — and to double a prior reduction target for general and flag officer positions to 20%, Quartz, Fox News, DefenseScoop, and AP-syndicated coverage report. The command is meant to accelerate drone and robotic acquisition and is expected to be operational by October 2027, with interim leaders named before a four-star commander is selected.

The 20% cut would affect roughly 800 billets and is due by January 1, 2027, building on a 10% reduction Hegseth ordered in 2025. Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and former Navy combat pilot, called the moves a “purge” that could take a generation to recover from, per AP. Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, said he wanted to understand the reasoning before judging. Hegseth also named Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich to chair Project Meridian, a 120-day future-of-warfare study group, and previewed Project Agincourt on drone acquisition reform.

Backstory: the Trump Pentagon has already removed or pushed out more than two dozen senior leaders since taking office, AP notes, and last year’s Quantico gathering targeted senior generals; this year’s audience skewed junior officers and NCOs. AutoWarCom sits beside the ongoing Iran conflict and the just-declared end of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq — a force-structure story as much as a tech story. Watch the named four-star for AutoWarCom, service implementation plans for the billet cuts, and any congressional hearings. Engage: Defense Department readouts and service statements will carry the next primary documents.