Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to a panel during the Association of the US Army’s (AUSA) annual conference in October 2026. Hegseth has proposed the creation of a new four-star command for autonomous systems, the Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM). (Department of Defense/US Air Force Staff Sgt. Madelyn Keech)

‘Project Agincourt’ Can Deliver Faster Innovation—if the Pentagon Will Let It

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The main problem confronting the new proposed four-star combatant command will not be the amount of money it receives, but whether it can use those funds quickly and effectively.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision to stand up Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM) is the right one. The war in Ukraine has made it clear that autonomy is no longer a niche capability; it is changing how every service fights. A functional command, built on the model of Special Operations Command or Space Command, can set joint priorities and integrate forces at a scale no single service will on its own.

But a four-star headquarters will not, by itself, make anyone faster. Speed comes from how quickly an organization learns which problem to solve next.

The phrase in Hegseth’s announcement worth underlining is that the command will “define joint needs.” Where those needs originate will determine whether the command succeeds. If they come from headquarters staff, the military risks buying the wrong drones faster. If, on the other hand, they come from operators watching the enemy adapt week to week, the command will work. Everything else—authorities, budgets and org charts—should follow from that basic principle.

“Project Agincourt” Can Deliver a Faster Innovation Loop

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