Navy secretary Phelan out, Pentagon says
April 22 (UPI) -- John Phelan is out as Navy secretary, "effective immediately," the Pentagon said Wednesday evening.
"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," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on a post on X. "We wish him well in his future endeavors."
Parnell's statement said that Undersecretary Hung Cao will become acting Secretary.
There have been no details on why Phelan is leaving the post, NBC News reported. The departure comes in the middle of a dramatic day for the United States' blockade of Iranian ports as Iran attacked and seized two cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Phelan's departure also comes in the wake of other U.S. military shakeups. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forced out Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George and other Army generals earlier in April.
Hegseth also fired Phelan's chief of staff, Jon Harrison, last fall, the New York Times reported, as well as many other U.S. military figures.
Before becoming Navy Secretary in March 2025, Phelan ran a private investment firm and had no prior military experience.
On Tuesday, Phelan said in a post on X that the future of the Navy will include a mix of manned and unmanned systems. "This is how we maintain control of the seas and project power where it matters," he wrote.
The Navy also released its 2027 budget on Tuesday. The spending plan of $377.5 billion marks an increase of $70 billion and is "focused on restoring American maritime dominance," a press release said.
"This is a strategy-driven budget," Phelan said in the release. "It's not about business as usual -- it's about making generational investments in real, usable capability for our warfighters."
Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 7:17 PM.