Pete Hegseth is pushing a broad restructuring of the U.S. military centered on faster weapons development, autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, a smaller senior command structure and a more streamlined acquisition system. In his September 2026 “State of the Force” address, Hegseth announced a new four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, plans to reduce general and admiral positions by 20%, and further efforts to shift the Pentagon toward drones, robotics and rapidly deployable technology.
Introduction
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is accelerating a sweeping effort to reshape the American military around a different model of warfare—one that places greater emphasis on drones, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, rapid weapons production and a leaner command structure.
The latest phase of the Pete Hegseth defense reform agenda was outlined in late September 2026 at Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.
Among the most consequential announcements was the creation of a new Autonomous Warfare Command, a four-star military command designed to accelerate the Pentagon’s use of autonomous and robotic technology.
Hegseth also announced plans to reduce the number of generals and admirals by 20%, doubling an earlier 10% reduction target, while continuing a broader effort to eliminate what his administration describes as unnecessary bureaucracy.
The changes are not limited to drones or senior officers.
Since taking office in January 2025, Hegseth has pursued a broader transformation involving military procurement, software development, Army force structure, defense contracts, personnel policy and the U.S. defense industrial base.
The goal, according to Pentagon policy documents, is to move technology from development to the battlefield faster while shifting resources away from programs the administration considers outdated or inefficient.
What Did Pete Hegseth Announce in September 2026?
The latest announcements represent an expansion of reforms that Hegseth began pursuing earlier in his tenure.
At the September 2026 State of the Force event, he outlined several major initiatives.
The biggest announcements include:
- Creation of an Autonomous Warfare Command
- A planned 20% reduction in general and admiral positions
- Greater emphasis on drones and robotic warfare
- Expanded use of artificial intelligence
- Changes to military education and leadership
- Continued restructuring of military headquarters
- Additional efforts to speed weapons acquisition
- A greater emphasis on defense production and technological innovation
The Pentagon’s approach reflects lessons the administration says it has drawn from recent conflicts, particularly the growing role of inexpensive drones, electronic warfare, autonomous systems and rapidly evolving battlefield technology.
Reuters reported that Hegseth’s new autonomous command would be the first new U.S. military command since the creation of U.S. Space Command in 2019.
What Is the Autonomous Warfare Command?
One of the most significant parts of Hegseth’s modernization strategy is the new Autonomous Warfare Command, sometimes referred to as “Autowarcom.”
The command is intended to expand the military’s ability to use autonomous and robotic systems, including drones and artificial intelligence.
The idea reflects a broader shift in military planning.
Traditional U.S. defense strategy has relied heavily on expensive platforms such as fighter aircraft, large ships, armored vehicles and other sophisticated weapons systems.
Those platforms remain important, but modern conflicts have demonstrated that relatively inexpensive drones can also have an outsized effect.
The Pentagon therefore wants a military capable of combining high-end traditional weapons with large numbers of lower-cost autonomous systems.
Reuters reported that Hegseth described the need for both quality and quantity in future military capabilities.
That concept could have major implications for how the U.S. military spends its enormous defense budget.
Instead of relying exclusively on small numbers of extremely expensive systems, planners increasingly want the ability to deploy large numbers of networked autonomous platforms.
Why Drones and AI Are Central to Hegseth’s Strategy
Drones have changed modern warfare.
The war in Ukraine has provided a particularly important example of how inexpensive unmanned aircraft can be used for surveillance, targeting, attacks and battlefield coordination.
Hegseth’s Pentagon has increasingly emphasized counter-drone capabilities as well as the offensive use of unmanned systems.
His 2025 Army transformation directive already required the service to accelerate the deployment of unmanned systems and ground- and air-launched effects. The plan called for such systems to be fielded across Army divisions by the end of 2026.
The Army was also instructed to improve counter-unmanned aircraft systems and integrate those capabilities into maneuver formations.
Artificial intelligence is another major component.
Hegseth’s 2025 Army directive called for AI-enabled command-and-control capabilities at theater, corps and division headquarters by 2027.
That means AI is being treated not simply as an administrative tool but as a potential component of battlefield decision-making and military operations.
Hegseth Wants Fewer Generals and Admirals
Another major component of the reform effort is reducing the size of the military’s senior leadership structure.
In September 2026, Hegseth moved toward a 20% reduction in general and flag officer positions, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.
The plan does not necessarily mean every affected officer will simply be removed from military service.
Instead, the Pentagon has described the effort as involving the elimination or downgrading of positions and restructuring of commands.
Hegseth has argued that the military has accumulated unnecessary layers of leadership and bureaucracy.
He raised this issue shortly after taking office.
During a February 2025 Pentagon town hall, Hegseth pointed out that the United States had seven four-star generals during World War II compared with 44 at the time of his remarks. He said the Pentagon needed to examine whether every senior position directly contributed to warfighting effectiveness.
The new 20% target represents a significant expansion of that philosophy.
Why the Pentagon wants fewer senior officers
The administration’s argument is that a smaller command structure could:
- Reduce bureaucracy
- Speed decision-making
- Eliminate redundant headquarters
- Put more resources toward frontline capabilities
- Increase accountability among senior commanders
- Redirect personnel and funding toward technology
Critics, however, have raised concerns about whether rapid reductions in senior military leadership could affect institutional knowledge and readiness.
The disagreement illustrates one of the central questions surrounding Hegseth’s reforms: Can the Pentagon become significantly leaner without weakening its ability to manage increasingly complex global military operations?
Army Transformation Is Already Underway
The September 2026 announcements build on a transformation program Hegseth initiated in 2025.
In April 2025, he directed the Army to pursue a comprehensive transformation and acquisition-reform strategy.
The Pentagon said the goal was to create a “leaner, more lethal” Army by changing force structure, cutting waste and shifting resources toward emerging technologies.
The program called for greater investment in:
- Long-range precision fires
- Air and missile defense
- Cyber capabilities
- Electronic warfare
- Counter-space capabilities
- Unmanned systems
- Artificial intelligence
- Advanced manufacturing
- Counter-drone systems
At the same time, the Army was directed to reconsider outdated or redundant systems.
That included reductions or restructuring involving certain aircraft, ground vehicles, unmanned systems and headquarters organizations.
Hegseth Is Also Changing Defense Acquisition
Military modernization depends on more than buying new weapons.
One of Hegseth’s major arguments is that the Pentagon needs to change how it buys technology.
The department has historically faced criticism for lengthy acquisition timelines and complex procurement procedures.
Hegseth’s reforms attempt to reduce those delays.
In November 2025, the Pentagon released its Acquisition Transformation Strategy, outlining a plan to move technology and weapons into service faster, expand production capacity and place the defense industrial base on what it described as a wartime footing.
The strategy focuses on five broad areas:
- Rebuilding the defense industrial base
- Strengthening the acquisition workforce
- Increasing acquisition flexibility
- Improving technical execution
- Improving lifecycle risk management
The objective is straightforward: develop and field military capabilities faster than potential adversaries can adapt.
Software Is Another Major Target
Hegseth’s modernization effort also includes software.
In March 2025, the Pentagon announced a new approach intended to speed up software acquisition.
The department directed components to use the Software Acquisition Pathway as the preferred route for software development associated with business and weapons systems.
The policy also encouraged tools such as Commercial Solutions Openings and Other Transaction authorities to bring commercial technology into military programs more quickly.
The Pentagon argued that traditional procurement processes were too slow for software-driven warfare.
That matters because modern military systems increasingly depend on software for:
- Sensors
- Communications
- Targeting
- Command and control
- Cybersecurity
- Autonomous systems
- Data analysis
- Battlefield decision support
The department’s strategy therefore treats software speed as a military advantage rather than simply an IT issue.
The Defense Industrial Base Is Part of the Reform
Hegseth’s strategy also emphasizes increasing American production capacity.
The Pentagon has argued that modern warfare requires the United States to be capable of producing weapons and ammunition at scale.
This is particularly relevant after the Ukraine war exposed constraints in global ammunition production and supply chains.
The administration wants defense companies and government facilities to be able to increase production quickly during a major conflict.
Hegseth’s 2025 Army transformation directive, for example, called for modernization of the Army’s organic industrial base and new production capabilities designed to increase ammunition capacity.
The broader acquisition strategy similarly calls for increased production capacity and wartime surge capability.
Pentagon Cuts and the Push to Eliminate Waste
Hegseth has also connected military modernization with spending reductions.
In April 2025, he ordered the termination of multiple consulting and IT contracts that the Pentagon considered unnecessary or duplicative.
The department said the cancellations represented approximately $5.1 billion in contracts, with nearly $4 billion in estimated savings that could be redirected toward military priorities.
The policy reflects one of Hegseth’s recurring arguments: the Pentagon can spend more effectively on military capabilities without simply increasing every existing program.
The goal is to redirect money from administrative overhead and legacy systems toward weapons, technology and warfighting capacity.
Whether those savings ultimately translate into measurable improvements in military capability remains a longer-term question.
What About Cybersecurity and Defense Contractors?
Hegseth’s acquisition reforms have also reached cybersecurity requirements.
In July 2026, the Department of War announced the suspension of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Phase II requirements that had been scheduled to take effect in November.
The department said it would review the program while retaining Phase I self-assessment requirements.
The stated purpose was to align cybersecurity requirements with Hegseth’s broader Acquisition Transformation System.
The administration says it wants to reduce barriers for smaller and nontraditional defense companies while maintaining resilient cybersecurity protections.
This illustrates the balancing act at the heart of Hegseth’s acquisition reforms.
The Pentagon wants fewer bureaucratic obstacles, but it cannot simply remove security requirements from a defense industry increasingly targeted by cyberattacks.
Military Academies Are Also Being Reshaped
Hegseth’s reforms extend beyond weapons and procurement.
In September 2026, he announced that U.S. military academies would no longer grant tenure to civilian faculty members.
The policy does not remove tenure from people who already hold it, according to the Associated Press.
Hegseth has argued that military academies should focus more heavily on preparing future officers for warfare and that tenure can contribute to academic stagnation.
Critics have argued that removing tenure could weaken academic freedom and make it more difficult for military academies to attract and retain qualified civilian scholars.
The dispute demonstrates that Hegseth’s reform agenda is not restricted to weapons systems.
It also involves the culture, education and organizational structure of the armed forces.
What Officials Say About the Modernization Strategy
The Pentagon has consistently framed Hegseth’s policies around several broad objectives: rebuilding military strength, restoring what officials call the warrior ethos, improving readiness and deterring potential adversaries.
The department’s FY2026 budget materials said Hegseth’s priorities included:
- Defending the U.S. homeland
- Rebuilding military capabilities
- Reviving the warrior ethos
- Increasing lethality
- Improving readiness
- Increasing accountability
- Reducing unnecessary spending
The budget also placed major emphasis on missile defense, nuclear modernization and shipbuilding.
In a 2025 speech, Hegseth also argued that the Pentagon needed to rapidly field emerging technologies, citing systems including the F-47 next-generation fighter, B-21 bomber and new autonomous and AI-enabled capabilities.
Why the Defense Reform Push Matters
The significance of Hegseth’s reforms goes beyond internal Pentagon management.
The United States is attempting to prepare for a security environment involving multiple advanced military competitors and rapidly changing technology.
Future conflicts could require forces capable of operating across:
- Land
- Air
- Sea
- Space
- Cyber
- Electromagnetic environments
At the same time, weapons may increasingly involve autonomous systems, AI-enabled decision support and large networks of relatively inexpensive drones.
Hegseth’s strategy is essentially an attempt to make the U.S. military more adaptable to that environment.
The challenge is that modernization can create its own risks.
Cutting legacy systems too quickly can create capability gaps.
Reducing senior officers can affect leadership capacity.
Accelerating acquisition can increase the possibility of procurement mistakes.
Increasing autonomous warfare capabilities raises questions about human control, reliability and escalation.
The success of the reform agenda will therefore depend not only on how quickly the Pentagon changes, but also on whether the changes improve actual military readiness.
The Bigger Shift: From Expensive Platforms to Mass and Speed
One of the clearest themes in Hegseth’s modernization program is a move toward speed, scale and adaptability.
The Pentagon is not abandoning major weapons platforms.
The United States continues to invest heavily in aircraft, submarines, bombers, missile defense and other advanced systems.
But Hegseth’s policies suggest that those platforms will increasingly operate alongside large numbers of autonomous and relatively inexpensive systems.
The new Autonomous Warfare Command could become an important organizational vehicle for that transition.
If successful, the model could give U.S. forces the ability to combine highly sophisticated platforms with mass-produced autonomous systems.
That combination is increasingly viewed as important in an era when an opponent could potentially overwhelm expensive weapons with large numbers of cheaper systems.
What Happens Next?
The immediate next step is implementation.
Creating a new command or announcing a reduction target is only the beginning.
The Pentagon will need to determine:
- Which senior positions will be eliminated or restructured
- How the new Autonomous Warfare Command will operate
- Which military services will control autonomous programs
- How AI systems will be integrated into command structures
- Which legacy weapons programs will be reduced
- How quickly new systems can enter production
- How acquisition reforms will affect contractors
- How the changes will influence military readiness
The proposed 20% reduction in general and admiral positions is expected to be implemented over time rather than overnight. Reuters reported that the Pentagon’s target is to reach the broader reduction by January 1, 2027.
The Autonomous Warfare Command will likewise need personnel, doctrine, budgets and operational responsibilities before its impact can be fully assessed.
The Bottom Line
Pete Hegseth’s defense reform agenda is becoming one of the most consequential reorganizations of the U.S. military in years.
The strategy combines several different efforts: reducing senior leadership, restructuring headquarters, accelerating weapons acquisition, expanding drones and autonomous systems, investing in artificial intelligence, strengthening defense production and cutting programs the administration considers inefficient.
The September 2026 creation of an Autonomous Warfare Command is perhaps the clearest sign yet of where the Pentagon sees future warfare heading.
But the success of the strategy cannot be measured by announcements alone.
The key test will be whether the reforms actually produce a military that can acquire technology faster, manufacture weapons at scale, operate effectively with autonomous systems and remain ready for conflict while avoiding the capability gaps that can accompany rapid organizational change.
For now, Hegseth is betting that a smaller, faster and more technologically focused military will be better positioned for the wars of the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Pete Hegseth?
Pete Hegseth is the U.S. defense secretary who was sworn into office on January 25, 2025. He previously served as an Army National Guard infantry officer and has deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. Since September 2025, he has also been authorized to use the secondary title “Secretary of War.”
What are Pete Hegseth’s defense reform plans?
His reform agenda includes restructuring military headquarters, reducing senior leadership positions, accelerating weapons acquisition, cutting what the Pentagon considers wasteful spending, expanding autonomous and unmanned systems, increasing AI capabilities and strengthening the defense industrial base.
What is the Autonomous Warfare Command?
The Autonomous Warfare Command is a new U.S. military command announced by Hegseth in September 2026 to accelerate the development and use of autonomous and robotic warfare capabilities, including drones and artificial intelligence. It is intended to be led by a four-star officer.
Is Pete Hegseth cutting the number of U.S. generals?
Yes. Hegseth announced a plan for a 20% reduction in general and admiral positions, expanding on an earlier 10% reduction initiative. The Pentagon says the restructuring is intended to reduce bureaucracy and improve accountability and efficiency.
Why is Hegseth emphasizing drones?
The Pentagon sees autonomous and unmanned systems as increasingly important to modern warfare. The experience of conflicts such as the war in Ukraine has demonstrated how drones can provide surveillance, targeting and attack capabilities at comparatively low cost. Hegseth’s Army modernization plans have already called for broader deployment of unmanned systems and improved counter-drone capabilities.
Is Hegseth replacing traditional weapons with drones?
Not completely. The Pentagon continues to invest in major conventional systems, including advanced aircraft, submarines, bombers, missile defenses and nuclear forces. The reform strategy is instead intended to combine those high-end platforms with larger numbers of autonomous and lower-cost systems.
What is Hegseth’s acquisition reform about?
The acquisition reforms are intended to reduce bureaucracy and shorten the time needed to move new technology from development into military service. The Pentagon’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy emphasizes faster fielding, increased production capacity, greater flexibility and a stronger defense industrial base.
Is artificial intelligence part of Hegseth’s military modernization plan?
Yes. AI is a major component of the Pentagon’s modernization strategy. Hegseth’s Army transformation directive called for AI-driven command-and-control capabilities at major headquarters, while the new Autonomous Warfare Command is designed to expand autonomous and robotic military capabilities.
When did Pete Hegseth become defense secretary?
Hegseth was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025.
What is the biggest goal of Hegseth’s military reforms?
The central goal is to make the U.S. military more focused on warfighting, faster at adopting technology and more capable of producing weapons and military systems at scale. His policies emphasize lethality, readiness, accountability, technology and deterrence.
