The Navy has a new top officer as the U.S. Senate confirmed Adm. Daryl Caudle as chief of naval operations late on Thursday night. The confirmation comes after the position sat empty for almost half a year, with a nominee to take over the role only recently named.
Caudle was one of several officers approved for high-ranking positions, and was confirmed unanimously.
The chief of naval operations position has been empty since February, when Trump dismissed Adm. Lisa Franchetti from the role. She was one of several top military officers removed from leadership positions in a major reorganization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., the then-Chariman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No reason was given for the firings. Since February there have been several high-level firings in the military.
Adm. James Kilby, who had been vice chief of naval operations since January 2024, has served as acting CNO in the interim.
Caudle, who currently serves as the head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, has a background as a submariner. He previously commanded the submarines the USS Jefferson City, USS Helena and USS Topeka. Other leadership roles have included commanding submarine squadrons, working for the Joint Staff and deputy commander of the Navy’s 6th Fleet.
Despite the importance of the CNO role and the Navy’s heavy involvement in combat operations in the Middle East around Yemen, it took the Trump administration several months to nominate a replacement, naming Caudle as the pick in mid June. During his confirmation hearing with the Senate in late July, Caudle stressed a focus on improving the quality of life for sailors.
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Caudle also voiced support for the CNO Navigation Plan, a document outlining priorities and strategic goals for the Navy, which had been put forward by Franchetti in 2024. In his written remarks to the Senate, Caudle highlighted some of the biggest challenges facing the Navy, including the rising threat of drones and multi-domain threats. He said that one goal of his is to develop weapons that are “modular, scalable, and built for rapid upgrade cycles to stay ahead of emerging threats.”
Caudle’s confirmation was one of three major military ones the Senate passed Thursday night. Alongside the Navy officer, the Senate also confirmed Space Force Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton for the new Vice Chief of Space Operations and Vice Adm. Frank Bradley to serve as the head of U.S. Special Operations Command. Bratton has served as the deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs and requirements for the service since 2023; he also was approved for a fourth star. Bradley, the current commander for Joint Special Operations Command, will also receive a fourth star.
