Posted on 07/14/2026 12:08:19 PM PDT by 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..."
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
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Blame every President since Reagan until Trump.
They gutted the military for more useless welfare programs that pay off their voters and enrich themselves through NGOs and state programs we know are over 50% fraudulent.
He was fired so he should stfu.
It is all they have. People who have been fired or forced to resign. It always reminds me of Allen Dulles. He was forced to resign as head of CIA by JFK and soon, JFK was assassinated.
Then Dulles is put on the mighty corrupt Warren Commission to tell us how the man who forced him out was killed.
Gutted the military? Have you seen the size of the military budget? Hardly gutted. But the DoW sure knows how to waste money.
We had more ships and subs in the 80s.
That’s not because of lack of funding. We spent $1 trillion a year.
I don't believe “circumvents” is anywhere near the appropriate term.
He's not a biologist, you know. 🤡
Former Sec. under who? That will define his credibility.
+100
Former Sec. under who? That will define his credibility.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2025-26 Trump
The correct warning should be that conventional surface combatants are obsolete. The sea lanes will be protected and dominated by swarms of pilot less drones directed by satellite, redundant GPS guidance. Those drones will torment and sink surface combatants. They will be directed by nerds sitting in fortified bunkers behind a console as if they were playing a video game. The future has already arrived. Witness how useless our pricey frigates, destroyers and guided missile cruisers are when keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. The Iranians are able to defacto close it using relatively rudimentary drones. Those drones in the future will be more accurate, more stealthy and more lethal. Whoever has the best drones, best engineers and guidance systems will control the sea. DEI won’t save us.
We’ve never spent $1 trillion.
90 $325 billion
21 $806 billion
22 $861 billion
23 $916 billion
24 $997 billion
2016 $611 billion
2025, this year, the closests.
Should be FY 2026
Check the MIC boards he sits on and you’ll uncover who wrote this garbage for him.
This is nothing more than a hit piece to smear and denigrate President Trump.
I'm against circumvention. It just ain't natural.
It’s always fun to hear from disgruntled ex-employees.
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