- The Chinese think tank recommends Beijing reference the U.S. Project Meridian to enhance military technology investment.
- Project Meridian aims to assess how emerging technologies will change military operations and identify areas for investment.
- The report emphasizes the importance of linking operational needs with technology development and suggests establishing a comprehensive assessment system.
- Chinese analysts warn that the involvement of business leaders from the defense industry could lead to conflicts of interest.
A Chinese think tank is urging Beijing to adopt a Pentagon initiative aimed at identifying the elements that will shape technology in future warfare while avoiding potential conflicts of interest and weaknesses in the U.S. assessment process. The initiative, named Project Meridian, was launched at the end of September with the goal of identifying gaps in military capabilities and guiding investments in technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, directed energy weapons, robotics, and biotechnology. The Blue Army Open Source Intelligence Institute in Beijing recently praised the initiative's cross-sector approach and rapid assessment process in an analysis but questioned whether its short timeline and the involvement of defense industry executives might undermine its conclusions.
The purpose of Project Meridian is to assist the U.S. Department of Defense in assessing how emerging technologies might change military operations and to identify the areas most urgently in need of investment. The initiative is led by Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael and the MITRE Corporation, with Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril Industries, and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich serving as co-chairs.
Its scope includes established military domains as well as emerging areas such as space, cyber warfare, autonomous systems, and directed energy.
Proposed Assessment System
According to the Chinese think tank's assessment, one of the main advantages of the project is its effort to link operational needs with technology development rather than evaluating weapon systems in isolation. The report also highlights the planned 120-day assessment cycle and the involvement of analysts from various fields. This approach reflects a broader challenge faced by the U.S. military, where the pace of commercial technology development often outstrips the adaptability of traditional defense research, budgeting, and procurement processes. The think tank believes that China could benefit from adopting a similar model that brings together military planners, research institutions, defense contractors, universities, and civilian tech companies.
This collaboration helps to identify capability gaps earlier and improves coordination between research funding and operational needs.
Chinese analysts suggest establishing a comprehensive system to assess defense technology, combining continuous monitoring of global developments with targeted assessments of specific military capability gaps. These assessments should consider not only the operational status of individual platforms but also the interoperability of different systems, including data sharing, communications, interoperability, and logistical support. The report calls for each technology proposal to identify the operational problems it aims to address, the capability gaps involved, the maturity of the technology, and the organizations responsible for implementation. It notes that specific testing conditions and funding requirements should also be outlined before project advancement.
Connecting Assessment and Deployment
A core recommendation is to establish a complete process that connects assessment with deployment. This includes project approval, prototype development, testing, military unit validation, large-scale deployment, and subsequent review. The process should also take into account changes to operational concepts, training, personnel, organizational structure, and logistical support. While praising the approach of Project Meridian, the Chinese report simultaneously warns that the involvement of business leaders with interests in the defense industry could lead to conflicts of interest. Musk-led SpaceX holds significant U.S. government contracts, while Luckey-founded Anduril Industries is a defense technology company developing autonomous systems and other military equipment.
How China Can Learn from U.S. Military Technology Assessment Models
The Chinese think tank's focus on the U.S. Project Meridian reflects its urgent need to enhance military technology investment. As global military technology rapidly evolves, China aims to more effectively identify and fill military capability gaps through a similar assessment system. The cross-sector collaboration model mentioned in the report, which brings together experts from various fields, could facilitate faster technology transfer and application. However, the report also points out that commercial interests may influence decision-making, a concern that is particularly important in today's context of increasingly close ties between technology and military.