US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans to cut 20% of the US military’s generals and admirals by January 1, 2027. He announced during his “State of the Force” address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday. Hegseth also announced a new four-star command to oversee the use of autonomous and robotic military systems.

Hegseth said the Pentagon would double the 10% reduction in general and flag officer positions that he ordered last spring. The plan covers around 800 positions across the military. The cuts can include one-star generals and officers of equivalent Navy rank. “I call it accountability and long overdue,” he said.

The new command will focus on expanding the military’s use of drones, autonomous systems and robotics. Hegseth described the shift as “the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history.” The announcement comes as uncrewed systems have become increasingly important on battlefields.

The Pentagon’s move follows a recent decision involving an Army unit in Europe that specialised in drone warfare. The unit was ordered to return to its traditional role as an infantry battalion, ending its work on battlefield drone technology. A bipartisan group of lawmakers later asked the Army to explain the decision as military forces increasingly rely on uncrewed systems.

Hegseth delivered the address as the US remains locked in a conflict with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. American forces have used large numbers of missile interceptors against Iranian missile and drone attacks. The attacks have also killed and wounded US troops. Hegseth repeated claims that American forces have destroyed Iran’s navy, air force and defence systems, along with several of its leaders and parts of its industrial base. Iran has continued intermittent missile and drone attacks on US and allied bases and retains the ability to target commercial and military ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

During the speech, Hegseth also highlighted the Trump administration’s increased defence spending and efforts to push military contractors to expand weapons production. Experts, however, estimate that contractors will need at least three years to rebuild stocks of some key weapons heavily used during the Iran war.

Lawmakers criticised the planned cuts. Some members of Congress have described the reduction in senior military positions as a “purge” that could take years to reverse. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and NASA astronaut, said, “He's got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military,” and added, “He's purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it's going to take a generation to recover from it.”

Republican Senator Mike Rounds said he wanted to understand Hegseth’s reasoning. “If it's simply a matter of eliminating a very heavy top, there may be some validity to it, but I want to see it first,” Rounds said.

Trump or Hegseth have already fired or pushed more than two dozen senior military leaders to retire since assuming office. The departures include Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and several senior officers who are women or people of colour. The number of general officer positions is set by law, but the Pentagon can leave posts vacant by not seeking congressional approval for replacements.