Pete Hegseth, Defence Secretary, US.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans to cut the number of generals and admirals in the US military by 20 per cent, while unveiling a new four-star command focused on autonomous and robotic warfare. He said the military services would double a 10% reduction ordered last spring for roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, bringing the total planned reduction to 20% by January 1, 2027. The Pentagon chief also announced plans for a new military base, inviting all 50 US states to compete to host between 15,000 and 25,000 service members.
The Pentagon chief also announced plans to create a new four-star command to oversee the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic military capabilities.
Hegseth made the announcements during his “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday, according to news agency AP. “I call it accountability and long overdue,” Hegseth said while announcing the cuts. Hegseth said the US military needed to adapt to the changing nature of warfare, pointing to the growing use of drones on battlefields, including in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict with Iran. Republican Senator Mike Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wanted to understand the reasoning behind the cuts. He said the initiative would focus on developing weapons and systems needed for future battlefields, including technologies capable of operating across a range of environments.
He described the move as part of what he called the “fastest peacetime shift in modern military history. Another proposal would make every US military base self-powered.