Navy Ex-Secretary John Phelan Issues Dire Warning to Hegseth, Congress

Military.com ^ | Jul 14, 2026, 1:49 PM EDT | Nick Mordowanec

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Former Navy Secretary John Phelan is calling on the help of Congress and the Pentagon to help the Navy work better, faster and smarter to keep up with U.S. adversaries.

Phelan, in a new op-ed published Tuesday in The Washington Post, "The depleted Navy needs immediate rebuilding as dangers rise," argues that the United States is at most responsible for the current state of the naval fighting force. His heeded warning comes amid an ongoing war in Iran played on the backdrop of the major international shipping channel, the Strait of Hormuz, which has been strategically used by Iran to flummox U.S. forces in the region and, in turn, cause economic hardship.

While U.S. allies help defend the land and air, Phelan notes that only the Navy circumvents the seas as a maritime protector. But that ocean dominance of the past has partially been ceded, he said, citing how China gained ground on the U.S. starting around 2015. Today, the number of Chinese warships have only increased and the gap between the world power and the U.S. has considerably grown.

"The Navy can’t do its job without resources that reflect the centrality of sea power," Phelan wrote. "This year, however, America has the chance to end decades of can kicking by treating the Navy’s predicament as a true emergency."

Phelan also wrote that Congress "must immediately pass" a Fiscal Year 2027 Pentagon appropriations bill "with the Navy as the primary recipient."

"In 15 of the past 16 years, the military has had to achieve critical national security objectives under temporary appropriations in the form of continuing resolutions. These must end," he wrote. "They put constraints on new programs and, by freezing spending levels, prevent the Navy from making the adaptations necessary to keep up with..."

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 123oclock4oclockzot; 2015; china; concerntrolling; geraldrford; johnphelan; mediawingofthednc; mullahloversonfr; multiplenicks; panicporn; phelan; phellan; plan; randspam; usn; usnavy

[voicereason]

I partially agree with the premise. But the bigger issue is us playing the world’s cop.

[4Runner]

Then Dulles is put on the mighty corrupt Warren Commission to tell us how the man who forced him out was killed.

That bullet that danced a thousand jigs. But most of you on here are just too young to have remembered that one.

[voicereason]

nothing more than a hit piece to smear and denigrate President Trump.

Trump didn't have a problem going after the defense Primes such as Raytheon. Never mind that Congress has failed to do it's part by passing proper budgets. If anything, defense is the responsibility of the government. NOT civilian organizations. I had a long discussion with an individual working in the defense sector who is fed up with it all and stepping away. It's only going to be worse with the number of people jumping in because of the budget amounts being discussed.

[norsky]

sourpuss DEI hire cross dresser mad!

[Racketeer]

Once you have been to the spot in Dallas where it occurred it becomes too obvious Americans were lied to.

[rxh4n1]

Yep. It was an easy shot for Oswald. Even with a crap rifle.

[rxh4n1]

It’s the big ships versus the little ships debate. It’s been ongoing since the days of Adams and Jefferson.

[Racketeer]

The very easy shot was not from behind. That is for sure. You will clearly understand why his skull landed on the trunk.

[Paul R.]

Well, I won’t disagree with that last, but, it is looking more and more as if, in the not too distant future, the defensive drones, ie., drone hunters, may cancel out the offensive drones.

Second, the real threat to well armed ships in the Strait and adjacent areas has been missiles, not drones. Drone swarms could change that, but so far the Iranians have been unable to mount such attacks on our ships, whether through inability (less likely?) or our ability to to disrupt them (more likely, but I have no firm evidence) I do not know for sure.

For redundant (and / or jam resistant) GPS guidance you have to have the “extra” satellites, and satellites can easily be taken out by the US, China, Russia, and at this point or very soon, some of the 2nd tier powers (Japan, France, likely South Korea, etc.)

What will really come to the fore with drones, IMO, is autonomous guidance with AI. We have had forms of autonomous guidance in missiles for over 40 years — my best man used to work on the DSP in those, back then. AI is one of the latest improvements.

Moreover, our Arleigh-Burke destroyers and whatever they have been close to have been impregnable, and defenses will continue to improve too. The problem is that the area to be protected is quite large, and we have not nearly enough defensive ships in the area to properly cover it. Our ships still have excellent uses, but they are, when it gets down to it, the wrong tool for the specific job of protecting civilian ships over such a large area.