Trump’s Navy secretary nominee endorses joint collaboration with Air Force on drone enablers

John Phelan, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next secretary of the Navy, told Senate lawmakers that he sees opportunities for joint technology development on next-generation capabilities to support manned and unmanned platforms.

If confirmed, Phelan — a businessman and co-founder of MSD Capital — would take the helm of the department as it pursues new drones and a “hybrid fleet” of manned and unmanned systems, among other modernization efforts. Service leadership is also in flux in the wake of Trump’s firing of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti last week.

“I understand that the F/A-XX next-generation [fighter] aircraft, offering significant advancements in operational reach and capacity within contested environments, is intended to enable Carrier Strike Groups to outpace adversaries while maintaining naval air dominance. I also understand the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force are collaborating closely to ensure interoperability through shared enabling technologies like autonomy, mission systems, and communication architectures. This collaborative approach, encompassing both manned and unmanned platforms, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), will maximize operational effectiveness and flexibility across the services,” Phelan wrote in response to advance policy questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of his confirmation hearing Thursday.

“In my view, aligning technology development and operational requirements will ensure the Services are poised to fully leverage next-generation unmanned systems, ultimately enhancing capabilities and long-range mission effectiveness,” he added.

The Pentagon envisions highly autonomous CCA drones serving as robotic wingmen to manned fighter jets or performing separate missions. The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force are each pursuing their own variants, which they hope to field in the coming years. The Air Force is widely seen as being ahead of the other branches in their pursuit of these types of platforms.

The Navy also aims to develop and field a next-generation manned fighter jet, currently referred to as the F/A-XX, that it hopes to field in the 2030s. An Air Force decision about the future of its manned, next-gen stealth fighter program— which was part of the Next Generation Air Dominance initiative — was postponed late last year amid the transition in presidential administrations.

Phelan told lawmakers that he would advocate for “smart investments” in the Navy’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, highlighting the need to foster industry competition, including non-traditional contractors, with the aim of driving down costs, accelerating timelines and maintaining the Navy’s technological superiority.

He also noted that he would prioritize “timely” modifications to Nimitz-class aircraft carriers for unmanned system integration.

Defense officials have expressed a desire to ensure interoperability between the services’ future crewed and uncrewed systems. Phelan — who has never served in the military — endorsed that idea in his comments to senators.

“I understand the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force are aligned on key enabling technologies, including mission systems, autonomy architecture, and communication and command architecture. This alignment ensures that both manned and unmanned platforms can operate effectively together, enhancing interoperability across branches. If confirmed, I will commit to continue collaboration with the other services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense to ensure that systems are compatible and ready to integrate seamlessly in joint operations, supporting interservice coordination and maximizing mission effectiveness,” he wrote.

The Navy isn’t just looking to field next-gen unmanned aerial systems. It’s also pursuing new unmanned surface vessels and unmanned underwater vehicles, as it works to build a so-called hybrid fleet of crewed and uncrewed platforms.

Accelerating the fielding of those types of systems to deter China in the Indo-Pacific was part of Franchetti’s Project 33 and CNO Navigation Plan, which she unveiled a few months before she got fired.

The Navy has also been playing a key role in the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, which was launched during the Biden administration with the goal of fielding thousands of “all-domain attritable autonomous systems” by August 2025.

The sea service has also set up new organizations, such as Task Force 59 and robo-ship squadrons, to work through concepts of operation and other issues that need to be addressed.

Phelan didn’t refer to Replicator by name in his written comments to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, but he suggested that he’s in favor of those types of efforts.

“The unique capabilities that unmanned systems bring to the naval and joint force are a tremendous force multiplier, and I believe the Department of the Navy should appropriately and adequately resource the right solutions and doctrine, organization, training, personnel and facilities that support these capabilities, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. There can be no dispute that unmanned systems are now very much part of the landscape of modern war,” he wrote.

“Also revealed is the rapid pace of innovation for these systems, as well as the rapid operational adoption of the evolving systems in battle,” he added. “If confirmed, I will thoroughly examine this issue to ensure the Department of the Navy investments are properly prioritized in this area by ensuring appropriate system selection through early, data-driven analysis. This will include championing joint investment in enabling technologies like autonomy, mission systems, and communications to guarantee interoperability across services and with coalition partners, for example through ongoing all-domain attritable autonomous systems efforts.”

Phelan is the second of Trump’s service secretary nominees during his second term to have a confirmation hearing. Earlier this week, Daniel Driscoll was confirmed as secretary of the Army. A confirmation hearing for Trump’s pick for Air Force secretary, Troy Meink, has not been scheduled.

Trump’s nominee for deputy defense secretary, Stephen Feinberg, also testified earlier this week.