Hegseth launches AutoWarCom, a four-star command built around drones

The Pentagon has a new command, and its focus is machines rather than personnel. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command, a four-star organization devoted to drones and autonomous systems. Inside the building, it already has a nickname: AutoWarCom. The command exists to compress the time it takes the military to acquire, test, and deploy unmanned technology. Current plans call for it to be operational by October 2027. What AutoWarCom is supposed to do Hegseth has framed the effort in sweeping terms. He describes it as enabling the fastest peacetime technological shift the military has attempted. The command’s mandate covers three linked stages. It will handle buying autonomous systems, putting them through testing, and getting them into the field. The command’s four-star designation places AutoWarCom near the top of the military’s hierarchy, giving it more authority in turf battles and budget fights than a smaller office would have. Leadership has also been named. The command will initially be led by Owen West, a former Marine, and Max Strasiser, a Navy SEAL test pilot. How the Pentagon got here On April 29, 2026, Hegseth testi...