Hegseth Defends 4-Star Autonomous Warfare Command as 5 Protesters Disrupt Army Panel
Updated
Updated · KOMO News · Oct 14
Hegseth Defends 4-Star Autonomous Warfare Command as 5 Protesters Disrupt Army Panel
3 articles · Updated · KOMO News · Oct 14
Summary
Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon needs a four-star Autonomous Warfare Command “yesterday,” using a Washington Army conference panel to defend the plan after at least five protesters interrupted the event.
The command is meant to unify autonomous capabilities across the services, replacing separate drone programs, while Project Agincourt would pair acquisition officials, engineers and troops to test systems and refine them from battlefield feedback.
The Pentagon is targeting Oct. 1, 2027, to stand up the command, but the plan still needs congressional authorization; Assistant Secretary Derrick Anderson said it would expand unmanned systems and reshape how the Joint Force fights.
The push extends beyond the joint level: an Oct. 1 Army memo ordered creation of the U.S. Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, or FASCOM, plus a new acquisition office for priority systems.
The disruption reflected wider political pressure around the initiative, with protesters invoking the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion military budget even as the panel continued.