The Pentagon is building a pathway to a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sept. 30, 2026, arguing that drones, robotics and AI are outrunning the U.S. military’s acquisition system.
Speaking in a “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth said the command—provisionally called AutoWarCom—would carry service-like authorities to scale unmanned systems across the joint force, with a target establishment date of Oct. 1, 2027, pending congressional authorization.
Autonomous Warfare Command and Project Agincourt
According to Military Times, Hegseth also launched Project Agincourt as an interim effort led by Defense Innovation Unit director Owen West and Navy SEAL Senior Chief Max Strasiser. The pair is tasked with fusing operators, engineers and industry in rapid “warfighting acquisition” cycles while a four-star commander is named for the eventual command.
The Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems, created in June under Deputy Defense Secretary Steven Feinberg, will drive near-term organizational shifts and work with Congress on legislation. Hegseth said new military occupational specialty frameworks would create career paths for autonomous warfare specialists.
High-low mix: expensive weapons and massed drones
Hegseth described a “high-low mix” of sophisticated platforms and large numbers of cheaper autonomous systems, comparing high-end weapons to lightning and massed drones to wind and rain. He pointed to Ukraine’s battlefield adaptation as a warning that the United States must test, modify and field systems at wartime tempo—pressure also visible in allied debates over defense spending after reports of a 27% jump in Russia’s 2027 defense budget.
Why a new combatant command now
AutoWarCom is designed as a functional combatant command akin in breadth to U.S. Special Operations Command or Space Command, integrating service-provided forces for geographic commanders. Realistic exercises—and combat when possible—would decide which technologies scale. That focus on unmanned mass echoes lessons from eastern Ukraine, including Ukrainian efforts such as Operation Vivaldi’s Donetsk village fights, where drones have reshaped tempo and attrition.
Congressional hurdles and the 2027 clock
Technology.org and other outlets note establishment still hinges on Capitol Hill. Until then, Project Agincourt and the unmanned portfolio office are the near-term vehicles. For Boston-area readers tracking U.S. force posture abroad, the announcement also sits beside the just-completed U.S. forces exit from Iraq, underscoring how Washington is rewriting both overseas footprints and home-station acquisition rules at once.