Washington DC - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the Pentagon's plans to launch a new battlefield test to promote officers to generals.

In a video shared to X on Tuesday, Hegseth unveiled the Defense Department's new Joint Warfighter Evaluation, which will screen colonels and Navy captains interested in becoming one-star generals or admirals on "their ability to fight, adapt, and win."

Hegseth said the victory of officers, which make up the "backbone" of the military, "depends on the commanders who lead them."

He argued that America "needs warfighters who can master a chaotic battle space," and that commanders should be chosen by "proven competence, not paper credential."

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Each branch of the military will have differing versions of the evaluation.

"America needs warfighters who can master a chaotic battle space," Hegseth said. "This principle is proven."

Hegseth went on to compare his new plan to the Louisiana Maneuvers – a series of military exercises carried out shortly before World War II.

The new battleground tests also come after the former Fox News host, who has railed against having women in combat units, made headlines for allegedly blocking the promotions of women and people of color within the US military without explanation.