Pete Hegseth was sworn in as Secretary of Defense Friday, bringing an end to a months-long confirmation saga that featured everything from strip clubs to claims of alcohol abuse to allegations of sexual assault. The final senate vote to confirm the former Fox & Friends host split the Senate 50-50, mostly along party lines (Republicans Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Mitch McConnell voted against, joining Democrats). Vice President JD Vance broke the tie.
The rise of the tech bro: So, now that Hegseth is the seat, what can we expect from the Pentagon in terms of defense innovation? Trump’s defense picks are a good place to start. A hedge fund heavyweight, a former Uber exec, and a China hawk walk into a bar…
- Deputy Secretary of Defense: Stephen Feinberg, cofounder and CEO of Cerberus Capital Management. Feinberg has invested heavily in defense, including in hypersonic missiles.
- Under Secretary of Defense for Policy: Elbridge Colby, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development under Trump from 2017-2018. Colby is a China hawk and helped pivot the National Defense Strategy (NDS) towards competition with Russia and China.
- Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering: Emil Michael, former SVP of business and chief business officer at Uber. Michael is a serial entrepreneur, a former special assistant to the secretary of defense, and will drive the development of next-gen capabilities inside the Pentagon.
- Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment: Michael Duffey, former Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense and Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering. Duffey is a vocal proponent of defense innovation and has called for more “funding, development, and procurement of cutting-edge technology.”
Trump has charged these men with spurring innovation in the DoD and revitalizing the US defense industrial base. They’ll also enforce Trump’s border policies and manage ongoing tensions with China and Russia.
Off-the-shelf: In his confirmation hearing, Hegseth said that his priorities were three-fold: securing the border, deterring China, and “prioritiz[ing] our resources to reorient to larger threats.” But innovation and acquisition reform got a nod, too. When he wasn’t fending off questions about his views on women in the military or allegations of sexual misconduct, Hegseth said that he would reform the Pentagon to get much-needed tech into the hands of fighters.
As SecDef, he said he would:
- “Cut red tape” and lessen bureaucracy to make acquisition of advanced technology easier.
- Increase defense spending.
- Use the Defense Production Act and emergency powers to modernize US capabilities, including the nuclear triad.
- Bring Silicon Valley-style competition and innovation to the Pentagon (First Breakfast, anyone?).
- Field “off-the-shelf” technologies to get capabilities on the battlefield faster.
- Invest in capability development through the Office of Strategic Capital, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
- Invest in the development of UAVs and UUVs.
What does this all tell us? For one thing, we can expect heavy influence from Silicon Valley in the Pentagon. If Hegseth and Trump’s appointees have their way, the Pentagon (and DOGE) will be looking to cut down on lengthy acquisition processes. The DoD will also prioritize nontraditional defense companies and next-gen technology, all with an eye on deterring China.