Pentagon Launches Autonomous Warfare Command

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday the creation of an Autonomous Warfare Command, a new military organization focused on developing and delivering autonomous systems, robotics, drones and artificial intelligence capabilities across the U.S. armed forces.

The move underscores the Pentagon’s effort to adapt to rapidly evolving warfare, where lower-cost drones and AI-powered weapons are increasingly supplementing expensive conventional military platforms. Establishing a new command is relatively rare, with U.S. Space Command in 2019 among the most recent examples.

Speaking before hundreds of junior officers and enlisted personnel at Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth said the Autonomous Warfare Command would be headed by a four-star officer.

“The pace of war is changing faster than the process to support it,” Hegseth said during his “State of the Force” address, which also included plans to establish an office of religious affairs.

Hegseth said advances in computing, artificial intelligence and commercial manufacturing have accelerated the spread of inexpensive, precision-strike technology. The U.S. military currently operates 11 combatant commands covering geographic regions and specialized missions.

The growing military use of AI has also raised security concerns. Experts in the United States and China, the two leading powers in advanced AI development, have called for safeguards governing military applications of artificial intelligence, particularly around sensitive areas such as nuclear weapons.

Hegseth said the Pentagon must balance sophisticated weapons with greater production capacity, declaring that the military now needs “both quality and quantity.”

Russia’s war in Ukraine has demonstrated how dramatically drones can reshape modern combat. Ukraine, facing disadvantages in conventional aircraft and armor, increasingly deployed inexpensive unmanned systems for surveillance and strikes. Drones are estimated to account for roughly 70% of Russian casualties while allowing attacks to be conducted without exposing pilots and aircrews to the same risks.

The Pentagon has already expanded its focus on unmanned warfare, including through Joint Interagency Task Force 401, which concentrates on counter-drone capabilities. The new Autonomous Warfare Command represents a broader effort to accelerate the deployment of AI, robotics and autonomous weapons throughout the U.S. military.