Pentagon Pushes AI, Autonomy, Golden Dome in Defense Plan

The Pentagon is preparing to overhaul its technology, acquisition and missile defense posture to move faster on artificial intelligence, autonomy and homeland protection systems, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.

“The unipolar moment [in the great power competition] is over and we have an opportunity to define what comes next,” Hegseth said Saturday about the forthcoming National Defense Strategy. “Our objective is simple, if monumental — transform the entire acquisition system to rapidly accelerate the fielding of capabilities and focus on results.”

Hegseth spoke on the heels of the newly released National Security Strategy that outlined an America-first approach to policy and cites greater investment in “emerging technologies and basic science.”

Overhauling Defense Acquisition

Hegseth reiterated plans he shared last month to dismantle the Pentagon’s current acquisition structure, which he said is too slow and too centralized. The shift would emphasize more competition and closer alignment with commercial innovation cycles.

“[The Pentagon wants] generational and transformational changes that we will implement and will move us from the current prime contractor-dominated system defined by limited competition, vendor lock cost plus contract stress, budgets and frustrating protests to a future powered by dynamic vendor space that accelerates production by combining investment at a commercial pace with the uniquely American ability to scale and scale quickly, all at the speed of urgency,” Hegseth said Saturday.

AI and Autonomy

Hegseth said the acquisition industrial transformation translates to artificial intelligence and autonomous capabilities. When asked about the choice between arming servicemembers with AI capabilities or replacing them with autonomous systems, Hegseth argued for a hybrid approach that leverages the strengths of both.

“I think it’s going to be both,” Hegseth said, referencing recent visits to defense technology firms. “It has to be both … I’ve seen what AI is doing to 10, 100, 1,000x the speed of sensing. Everything we do on the modern battlefield is critical.”

Hegseth also said that autonomy is already reshaping warfare, citing lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine

“Autonomy is … a huge part of the way of the future,” he added.

Missile Defense Through Golden Dome

Hegseth also said that the Pentagon is accelerating work on the Trump administration’s Golden Dome project, a homeland missile defense architecture he compared to the ambitions of Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative.

“President Trump’s doing the same thing,” Hegseth said. “Now the tech is caught up, and we can actually build a golden dome for America — a game changer.”

Hegseth said Golden Dome is a necessary evolution of homeland security in an era of hypersonic missiles and advanced aerial threats. He said the project would produce “tangible protection” within the timeframe of the current administration, further underscoring the urgency with which the newly renamed War Department is operating.

“Golden Dome will produce tangible protection for this country inside the timeframe of this administration and beyond,” Hegseth said.

Deterrence Through Dominance

China’s technological advancement remained a theme of Hegseth’s remarks in which he acknowledged the nation’s “rapid, formidable and holistic” military buildup. He framed the U.S. response not as a race to match ship counts alone, but rather as a qualitative leap in capability.

“Our department maintains a clear-eyed appreciation of how rapid, formidable and holistic the military buildup has been. We take these capabilities seriously. It would be silly and frankly disrespectful not to. This approach requires focus, prioritization and clarity of purpose,” Hegseth said.

Addressing concerns about Chinese shipbuilding outpacing the U.S., Hegseth emphasized that the American response relies on the “arsenal of freedom” — a revitalized industrial base capable of producing lethal, high-tech systems.

This strategy, which he termed “deterrence by denial,” relies on projecting such overwhelming power that aggression becomes unthinkable. Hegseth stressed that while the U.S. seeks “respectful relations” and a “balance of power” rather than confrontation, this balance must be underwritten by unquestionable strength.

“The War Department is the sword and the shield of peace through strength,” Hegseth said.