Washington, October 1: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans to reduce the number of generals and admirals in the US military by 20 per cent. The reduction is to be completed by January 1, 2027, and will apply across the military services to general and flag officer positions.
Hegseth also announced the creation of a new four-star combatant command, the Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom, to oversee the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic military systems.
The command will focus on technologies including drones and artificial intelligence and is expected to have dedicated manpower, budget and acquisition authorities.The restructuring comes as the US military reviews its approach to emerging battlefield technologies.
Hegseth said the changing use of drones and autonomous systems in conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, has highlighted the need to develop and deploy such capabilities more rapidly.
The Pentagon is also examining how artificial intelligence and autonomous systems can be integrated into future military operations.