October 1, 2026
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the establishment of the “Independent Warfare Command,” a new military formation that aims to develop autonomous and robotic systems and provide them to various branches of the armed forces, in a move aimed at accelerating the integration of drones and artificial intelligence applications into military operations.
This came during a speech delivered by Hegseth, on Wednesday, before members of the army at the Quantico base in Virginia, where he explained that the new command would be under the command of a four-star officer, noting that this step comes in response to the rapid change in the nature of modern warfare and the urgent need to accelerate the introduction of autonomous technologies into field service.
The new command is scheduled to have powers parallel to those of the branches of the armed forces, and will begin its operational duties by October 2027, subject to the completion of regulatory procedures and obtaining the approval of the US Congress.
Hegseth stressed the importance of the equation between technical development and economic cost, calling for combining advanced weapons with less expensive systems in large numbers, stressing: “Today we need both quality and quantity.”
This announcement comes as part of a broader Pentagon strategy that aims to gradually shift from exclusive reliance on high-cost conventional weapons platforms towards autonomous systems supported by artificial intelligence, coinciding with the growing decisive role of drones in contemporary conflicts.
It is noteworthy that the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) has expanded its programs in recent years to develop unmanned systems, including the formation of specialized teams to confront drones. The creation of a military command at this level is an exceptional step, as the Space Command, which was established in 2019, is the last new American combat command to be approved.
