Ensuring US military has greatest fighting force: Defence Secy hosts Elon Musk at Pentagon

WASHINGTON: Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted entrepreneur and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk at the Pentagon, where they discussed innovation, efficiency and smarter production within the Defense Department.

Calling Musk a patriot, Hegseth underlined their shared commitment to ensuring the US military remains the world’s strongest fighting force.

Following the meeting, Hegseth praised Musk’s contributions and underlined their shared goal of strengthening the US military. “Amazing visit with @elonmusk at the Pentagon today. He is a patriot, and I look forward to continuing our work together. With Elon and @DOGE we are ensuring our Military continues to be the greatest fighting force the world has ever known”, he posted on social media.

Amazing visit with @elonmusk at the Pentagon today. He is a patriot, and I look forward to continuing our work together. With Elon and @DOGE we are ensuring our Military continues to be the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. pic.twitter.com/xkJam6Kmsq

— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) March 21, 2025

According to an official statement from the US Department of Defense, the meeting was not connected to Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency. Instead, it was a personal invitation from Hegseth to discuss ways to improve the military’s industrial base, technology adoption, and procurement processes.

In an earlier message to military personnel, Hegseth stressed the importance of matching threats to capabilities, stating, “We will rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities. This means reviving our defence industrial base, reforming our acquisition process, passing a financial audit, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world”.

Musk is best known for his companies, which span a range of industries, from electric vehicles and social media to technology and space exploration. The latter of which was recently involved in bringing back NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams — both retired US Navy captains — from the International Space Station. The two astronauts had been aboard the ISS since June 2024, the statement of DoS added.

Musk’s last visit to the Pentagon was in 2016 when he met with then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter. (ANI)