US defence secretary says military has cut general and admiral positions by 20%

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States military had reduced its number of generals and admirals by 20%. Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Hegseth said 10% of senior officers had been dismissed and that the number of authorised general-officer positions had been cut by another 10%. He described the change as accountability, while media and Democratic lawmakers have called it a purge.

The announcement follows a series of senior military leadership changes since Donald Trump began his second presidential term. Officers removed from their positions include the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the heads of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard, according to the source. Hegseth has said the president is choosing the military leaders he wants.

Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that the removals could politicise the armed forces and take years to reverse. Senator Mark Kelly said a generation of military leaders was being purged. Republican Senator Mike Rounds said reducing an overly large senior structure could have some validity but that he wanted to understand the reasoning and examine the details.

Hegseth also announced plans for a new command focused on drone warfare and autonomous and robotic capabilities. He said the speed at which warfare was changing required a purpose-built system capable of adapting quickly. He unveiled a task force led by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey.

The group will study weapons and systems for future battlefields, including autonomous technologies. The source did not provide a timetable for the command or further details about the personnel reductions.