President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will nominate acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to lead the department permanently, according to the Associated Press.
The appointment places a 25-year Navy veteran in the permanent civilian leadership post as the service manages extended deployments, shipbuilding delays, and operational demands from the conflict with Iran.
Cao has held the position on an acting basis since April 22, following the departure of John Phelan. Trump urged the Senate to confirm the nomination quickly, though the chamber must formally receive and approve the paperwork before Cao can assume the office permanently.
Cao started his naval career as an enlisted sailor in 1989 before graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. He transitioned into special operations, serving as a Navy diver and explosive ordnance disposal officer with deployments linked to operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
His official Navy biography notes that his family fled Vietnam in 1975. He eventually settled in Northern Virginia for school and served roughly 25 years as a commissioned officer before entering the private sector and Republican politics.
After unsuccessful runs for a U.S. House seat in 2022 and the Senate in Virginia in 2024, Trump nominated him to serve as undersecretary of the Navy. The Senate confirmed him to that role earlier this year before he transitioned into the acting secretary post.
The nomination arrives as aircraft carriers and their crews follow punishing deployment schedules driven by the conflict with Iran and other global commitments. The Associated Press reported that Cao attended a tense town hall with family members of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln after an extended deployment sparked mental-health and family strain.
Readiness involves far more than raw ship counts. Maintenance backlogs, trained crews, munitions, logistics, and predictable time at home dictate the service’s operational tempo.
An August White House memorandum on rebuilding the Navy and shipbuilding base directs fresh planning toward vessel design, industrial capacity, and carrier systems. Translating those directives into active hulls requires consistent budgets and major upgrades across public and private shipyards.
U.S. shipbuilding programs continue to battle delays, cost growth, and labor shortages. Submarines, surface combatants, and support vessels routinely compete for dry-dock space and specialized suppliers.
At the same time, the Navy must maintain its current fleet while integrating unmanned systems and preparing for emerging threats. The Marine Corps portfolio adds another layer of complexity, with modernization plans prioritizing distributed operations, missiles, drones, and agile units tailored for contested Pacific environments.
Cao previously testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee as acting secretary, appearing alongside the chief of naval operations and Marine Corps commandant at a May 19 hearing focused on the fiscal 2027 budget request.
Once the White House formally transmits the paperwork, the Senate Armed Services Committee will set a confirmation hearing, review financial and ethics disclosures, and hold a vote to advance the nomination to the full chamber. Senators are expected to probe Cao’s acquisition strategy, personnel management, and plans for mitigating operational fatigue under wartime tempos.
