Pentagon — The Trump administration’s nominee for Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, has emphasized that the military service branch is at a “crossroads” and urgently needs to course correct to enhance its maritime capabilities.
During a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, Phelan stated, “Extended deployments, inadequate maintenance, huge cost overruns, delayed shipbuilding, failed audits, subpar housing and, sadly, record-high suicide rates are systemic failures that have gone unaddressed for far too long. And frankly, this is unacceptable.”
Despite lacking military or government experience, Phelan was described by committee Chairman Senator Roger Wicker as an “experienced businessperson” tasked with resolving the Navy’s significant industrial challenges, particularly in shipbuilding.
Wicker noted, “If we threw a zillion dollars at the Department of the Navy today, we couldn’t build the ships because we don’t have the industrial base. We’ve got to fix that.”
Republican Senator Dan Sullivan warned that China is on track to possess over 400 ships in its navy this year, potentially surpassing the United States by around 120 ships by 2030, as the U.S. currently operates approximately 300 ships.
Phelan stated, “Every shipbuilding delay, every maintenance backlog and every inefficiency is an opening for our adversaries to challenge our dominance. We cannot allow that to happen.” He pledged that, if confirmed, he would incentivize the industry and learn from “yesterday’s fights” to build a force for the future.
He highlighted the Ships for America Act, a bipartisan initiative aimed at establishing national oversight and support for the U.S. shipbuilding industry, which would assist the industry in better “telegraphing demand” for ships.
The Navy typically receives around 30% of the defense budget. During the hearing, both Republicans and Democrats criticized what they perceived as financial mismanagement within the Navy and the defense sector. Phelan committed to investigating these issues while formulating plans to address shortfalls in military acquisitions.
Phelan remarked, “When I’ve looked at all these different weapons programs, it seems like the next missile costs more than the first missile, so you have no economies of scale. That is a prescription for bankruptcy.”
Independent Senator Angus King expressed concern that the U.S. is lagging behind adversaries in technological advancements such as hypersonics and directed energy.
Hypersonic weapons can travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and can maneuver to evade detection and countermeasures. Directed-energy weapons inflict damage using concentrated energy rather than solid projectiles, with examples including lasers and particle beams.
In the wake of the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Houthi rebels in Yemen executed multiple drone strikes against commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The U.S. Navy deployed missiles, each valued at hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, to neutralize the drones.
Senator King highlighted the cost-effectiveness of directed energy, stating, “Directed energy is about 50 cents a shot, once you have the device there.”
It is crucial to note that Hamas and Hezbollah are recognized by the U.S. as terrorist organizations.
