US Navy Secretary, John Phelan has stepped down as the United States Secretary of the Navy with immediate effect, the Pentagon announced, according to the BBC. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post that Phelan’s departure would be “effective immediately”, adding that Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao will take charge as acting secretary.
“On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy. We wish him well in his future endeavours,” Parnell said.
The Pentagon did not provide any official reason for Phelan’s sudden exit. His departure comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the United States, Iran as well as Washington’s continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.
Phelan is the latest in a series of senior military leaders to exit the administration in recent months. His departure follows a broader reshuffle within the US defence establishment under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has removed more than a dozen top officers since taking office.
Just weeks earlier, Army Chief of Staff Randy George was asked to step down. Two other senior Army officials, Gen David Hodne and Maj Gen William Green, have also been removed from their posts.
Phelan, a businessman and major donor to President Donald Trump, was sworn in as Navy Secretary in March 2025 after being nominated in 2024. Notably, he had no prior military service. According to the BBC, his tenure included backing Trump’s proposal for a new fleet of heavily armed naval vessels, part of a broader “Golden Fleet” initiative aimed at expanding US maritime strength.
The role of Navy Secretary is largely administrative, overseeing policy formulation, recruitment, training, budgeting, and logistics, including the construction and maintenance of naval ships and facilities. Hung Cao, who will now serve as acting secretary, is a 25-year Navy veteran and has been serving as undersecretary since October 2025.
