Elon Musk to Co-Lead Pentagon's Project Meridian War Study

Elon Musk is returning to an official advisory role within US President Donald Trump's government, co-leading a Pentagon study on the future of war. The initiative, named Project Meridian, was announced by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth during a speech at the Quantico military base. Musk will co-lead the effort alongside Palmer Luckey, co-founder of the defence technology company Anduril Industries, and Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives. According to Hegseth, Project Meridian is intended as an effort led by America's best minds to examine the future of warfare. He framed the initiative as drawing on a unique American advantage that adversaries lack, citing the country's innovators, senior leaders and technologists. The announcement marks Musk's formal return to advising the Trump administration. He previously headed the Department of Government Efficiency, a role he left in May last year after a public falling out with Trump. The study's scope, timeline and reporting structure were not detailed in the announcement.