Pentagon Wants 3-Star Sub Czar to Lead All New Construction Programs Under DEPSECDEF

USNI News

By: Sam LaGrone

August 22, 2025


The Pentagon wants to tap a three-star officer to lead the Navy’s submarine construction effort under Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg outlined in a new memo, USNI News has learned.

The memo, issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, describes the roles and responsibilities of the officer who will oversee the acquisition of all nuclear submarines for a four-year tenure. The officer would also assume control of the submarine program offices currently under the Department of the Navy, four people familiar with the contents of the plan told USNI News.

The new Senate-confirmed submarine direct reporting program manager (DRPM) position will answer directly to the DEPSECDEF while coordinating with the Secretary of the Navy and the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

The position will work with the director of naval reactors — a four-star, dual-hatted position with the Department of Energy that develops and maintains nuclear reactors for both aircraft carriers and submarines. The new position will develop new submarine requirements in conjunction with the Chief of Naval Operations. Previously, the requirements for new ships and aircraft began with the CNO’s staff. The position will also be responsible for budgeting the maintenance of all in-service submarines, according to the sources.

The Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) office will report in part to the new submarine czar for efforts related to the multi-billion-dollar submarine industrial expansion effort, as well as the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition (RDA) for other industrial base issues, according to sources familiar with the plan.

The new memo follows an extensive review of new submarine construction by former Naval Sea Systems Command commander, retired Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy, who was undertaking a complete review of new submarine construction. McCoy, who is the chief nuclear officer at nuclear reactor manufacturer BWXT, has been touring nuclear yards as part of his assessment.

The move from the Pentagon comes as the Navy is years behind in submarine construction on both the Virginia-class nuclear attack boats and Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Contractors General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII Newport News Shipbuilding are delivering about 1.3 Virginia-class boats a year — far short of the 2.3 rate the Navy needs to support the U.S. commitment to provide three to five Virginia submarines to the Royal Australian Navy under the AUKUS agreement. Likewise, District of Columbia (SSBN-826) is tracking up to two years late, largely due to supplier issues.

The Navy has poured billions into improving the throughput of the submarine industrial base through the MIB and the non-profit organization Blue-Forge Alliance, which was awarded an almost $1 billion contract for “uplifting the U.S. submarine industrial base” last year.

Naval analyst Bryan Clark said moving the responsibility for new submarine construction could be positive.

“The Navy’s submarine leadership in the acquisition world has not done a great job,” Clark told USNI News on Friday. “There have been billions and billions spent on this effort. It seems like they’ve turned a corner but it’s unclear what the [return on investment] is on their part. It seems like there has been a lack of accountability to where this money has gone.”

Last month, the Pentagon announced Space Force’s Gen. Michael Guetlein was tapped to lead the massive Golden Dome missile defense shield as a DRPM to the deputy defense secretary’s office.

A defense official told USNI News on Friday the department intended to install a total of three DRPMs — subs, Golden Dome and one for the Air Force’s LGM-35 Sentinel next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile program.

Breaking Defense first reported on the possible Sentinel program DRPM earlier this month.

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