The U.S. Department of Defense announced that John Filan, the Undersecretary of the Navy, has been removed from his position with immediate effect. The department did not specify the exact reasons for this dismissal.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced the immediate removal of John Filan, Undersecretary of the Navy under President Donald Trump's administration. The department did not disclose the specific reasons for this dismissal.
Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, confirmed in a statement on platform X that John Filan's removal as Undersecretary of the Navy "is effective immediately," but provided no additional details about the cause of his dismissal. "On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary, we thank Secretary Filan for his service to the department and the U.S. Navy," he said.
The Pentagon spokesman said that Hung Kau, the Navy's Undersecretary, a 25-year military veteran and a trusted figure, has been appointed as acting Undersecretary. Kau has been notably critical of diversity policies in the military and supports building a more aggressive armed force.
Sources analyzing the resignation suggest two main reasons: delays in the "Golden Fleet" program, which Filan had supported to build new heavy warships named "Trump" in line with the president's policy, but fleet expansion has seen insufficient progress; and a policy of purging military officers.
This event occurred just weeks after Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, requested the resignation of Army Chief of Staff Randy George. Additionally, two other senior Army officers, General David Hodne and Brigadier General William Green, were recently dismissed as well.
Since taking office at the Department of Defense, Hegseth has removed more than ten senior military officers, including the Navy Commander and the Deputy Air Force Chief of Staff.
The change in Navy leadership comes during a critical time, as the U.S. and Israel are currently engaged in conflict with Iran, which continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. Recently, Iran declared that "it is impossible to open the Strait of Hormuz at this time" due to violations of the ceasefire agreement by the U.S. and Israel.
Meanwhile, the White House stated that President Trump remains satisfied with the blockade measures on Iranian ports, believing that Iran is currently in a significantly weakened position.
,BBC