Hegseth launches AutoWarCom, a four-star command built around drones
The new Autonomous Warfare Command is meant to speed up how the Pentagon buys, tests, and fields unmanned systems, with an operational target of October 2027
The Pentagon has a new command, and its focus is machines rather than personnel. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command, a four-star organization devoted to drones and autonomous systems.
Inside the building, it already has a nickname: AutoWarCom.
The command exists to compress the time it takes the military to acquire, test, and deploy unmanned technology. Current plans call for it to be operational by October 2027.
What AutoWarCom is supposed to do
Hegseth has framed the effort in sweeping terms. He describes it as enabling the fastest peacetime technological shift the military has attempted.
The command’s mandate covers three linked stages. It will handle buying autonomous systems, putting them through testing, and getting them into the field.
The command’s four-star designation places AutoWarCom near the top of the military’s hierarchy, giving it more authority in turf battles and budget fights than a smaller office would have.
Leadership has also been named. The command will initially be led by Owen West, a former Marine, and Max Strasiser, a Navy SEAL test pilot.
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How the Pentagon got here
On April 29, 2026, Hegseth testified before the House Armed Services Committee, pushing lawmakers to support a sub-unified command focused on autonomous drone warfare.
That same month, US Southern Command set up its own version. The SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command, known as SAWC, was established in April 2026 under Gen. Francis L. Donovan.
In June or July of 2026, Hegseth created a new office called the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for unmanned systems, or DRPM-UxS. That office consolidates the department’s drone and autonomous system programs into a single portfolio.
The broader backdrop is the changing shape of modern war. Recent conflicts, including the one in Ukraine, have shown how central drones and unmanned systems have become on the battlefield.
What this means
A dedicated four-star command, combined with the DRPM-UxS office, suggests the Pentagon wants more cross-branch coordination. Hegseth’s stated aim is to streamline how unmanned systems are developed and deployed across all branches.
October 2027 is the target for the command to be operational. Standing up any major command involves staffing, budgets, facilities, and legal authorities.
Congress also remains a factor. Hegseth made his case to the House Armed Services Committee in April, and lawmakers control the funding that any new command needs to function.