US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced the formation of a new military command to oversee and co-ordinate drone development and use in supporting overseas operations.
“Today at my direction, we are announcing the creation of Autonomous Warfare Command – or Autowarcom – a four-star combatant command with service-like authorities built to scale autonomous and robotic capabilities,” Mr Hegseth said during his "State of the Forces" speech at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
“We need bolts of lightning high – our existing high-end kill chains capable of striking unexpectedly and decisively,” he said.
In addition to the new command, the Pentagon is seeking $54.6 billion for its Defence Autonomous Warfare Group in the 2027 fiscal year budget to manage and consolidate drone development – up from $226 million this year.
Attacking the press - and 'fatties'
Mr Hegseth also used his speech to attack the press, calling coverage of the Iran war “a national betrayal". He described journalists as anti-American traitors for reporting on the Pentagon's actions.
“A free press is of course important, but partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they are undertaking is fundamentally anti-American,” Mr Hegseth said. “It’s sick. It’s a national betrayal. It’s treason.”
The remarks were in keeping with his past criticism of the media. He has imposed new reporting restrictions on the Pentagon press corps.
They also echoed President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that media outlets should be charged with treason for what he’s called incorrect reporting about the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
Mr Hegseth repeated his past criticism of "woke" Pentagon policies.
"We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that – no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors," he said.
Mr Hegseth also announced a decision to cut the number of slots for generals and admirals by 20 per cent. His directives will allow some posts to be filled with lower-ranking officers, such as Army colonels or Navy captains, instead of generals and admirals.
