Pentagon Autonomous Warfare Command plans put a four-star organization at the center of U.S. military work on drones, robotics and artificial intelligence. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the command on September 30, pairing the proposal with an interim program called Project Agincourt.

 

The official plan establishes four immediate priorities:

  • Seek congressional authority for a new functional combatant command.
  • Target October 1, 2027, for its establishment.
  • Prototype a faster acquisition model for autonomous systems.
  • Create dedicated career paths for military personnel.

 

Pentagon Autonomous Warfare Command Targets 2027

The Defense Department's Project Agincourt memorandum describes Autonomous Warfare Command as a functional combatant command responsible for leading the Joint Force in unmanned and autonomous warfare.

 

The proposed organization would have directed personnel, budget and acquisition authorities. It would also build military career pathways for officers and enlisted personnel who specialize in unmanned and autonomous systems, treating the field as an enduring operational discipline rather than a collection of temporary projects.

 

The memorandum sets October 1, 2027, as the target establishment date. That deadline is not a guarantee: the department says it must work with Congress to secure the legislation required to create the command.

 

Reuters reported that the U.S. military currently has 11 combatant commands and that the most recent addition was U.S. Space Command in 2019. Creating another would therefore represent a substantial organizational change, not simply a new technology office.

 

Project Agincourt Starts the Transition

Project Agincourt is the bridge between the announcement and the planned command. Hegseth directed the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems, known as DRPM-UxS, to lead the effort while continuing its existing mission.

 

The office must submit a plan of action and milestones within 30 days, with support from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The services and relevant commands are expected to identify personnel, resources, authorities and unresolved gaps needed to build the new structure.

 

The plan also assigns Owen West and Max Strasiser as chief executive officer and chief operating officer of DRPM-UxS. Those commercial-style titles reflect the department's attempt to combine military operators, technology developers and manufacturers in shorter decision cycles.

 

Monthly reporting to the defense secretary is intended to track operational results, adoption by the services and decisions that require higher-level action. The memorandum also calls for milestones covering initial operational capability and measures of how quickly forces adapt and adopt new systems.

 

A Different Model for Buying Drones and AI

The proposal targets a persistent Pentagon problem: commercial technology and battlefield requirements can change faster than traditional procurement programs. Project Agincourt is supposed to prototype a system that pushes decisions and funding closer to operational forces while testing competing products in realistic conditions.

 

Autonomous Warfare Command would define joint requirements and integrate forces supplied by the military services for geographic combatant commanders. It would test equipment and force designs against realistic opposition, modify systems rapidly and expand approaches that work in demanding environments.

 

That design makes adaptation the central output. Instead of optimizing only for delivery of a particular drone, the Pentagon wants a repeatable process that can respond when adversaries change tactics, jam communications, exploit software weaknesses or field cheaper countermeasures.

 

Recent wars give the effort urgency. Reuters cited estimates that drones account for roughly 70% of Russian casualties in Ukraine, while inexpensive unmanned aircraft have reshaped reconnaissance, targeting and strike operations. The Pentagon has also created Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to focus on counter-drone capabilities.

 

Authority, Testing and Human Control Remain Open

The announcement does not specify which decisions autonomous systems could make without direct human approval. It also does not define testing thresholds for targeting software, rules for weapons release or how commanders would assess responsibility when models, sensors and operators contribute to a decision.

 

Those questions will matter as the department converts organizational authority into operating rules. Autonomous systems can reduce risk to personnel and react faster than manual processes, but they also introduce failure modes involving spoofed sensors, cyber compromise, unclear recommendations and behavior outside tested conditions.

 

The command's acquisition authority could shorten delivery cycles, yet speed increases the importance of independent testing, audit logs, red-team exercises and reliable ways to interrupt or disable systems. Career tracks may help by building personnel who understand both operational missions and the limits of the software they deploy.

 

The immediate test is procedural: the 30-day implementation plan, proposed legislation and service commitments must turn a high-level announcement into an accountable command structure. Until Congress acts and the Pentagon defines its operational safeguards, Autonomous Warfare Command remains a funded organizational objective rather than a fully functioning combatant command.

 

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