Defense

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Carlos Del Toro as its pick to be the next Navy secretary. Del Toro is a retired U.S. Navy commander and a business leader, and if confirmed he would be the second-ever Hispanic Navy secretary. A decision on who should lead the Department of the Navy has lagged behind the other services: The Senate already confirmed Christine Wormuth to be…

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden’s nominee for Air Force secretary and six other top Pentagon picks advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee by a voice vote June 10. The Senate must consider them before they can be confirmed. The nominations are as follows: · Frank Kendall ― a former Pentagon acquisition official ― for secretary of the U.S. Air Force. · Heidi Shyu ― a…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy may have to pick just one of three major modernization programs on the horizon to fund — pursuing a new destroyer, a new attack submarine or a new fighter jet, the acting Navy secretary warns in a recent memo. The other two due would be postponed to budget limitations, he wrote. A June 4 memo from acting Navy Secretary Thomas Harker stated that, in line with…

BEIRUT — The Lebanese Navy expects to receive seven offshore patrol vessels, including four with help from France and three Protector-class OPVs that are part of U.S. military aid. “Currently, there is coordination with French shipbuilders to supply Lebanon with four OPV frigates, of 65- and 75-[meters] length each,” Navy Commander Senior Capt. Haissam Dannaoui, told Defense News…