The United States Senate confirmed Adm. Daryl Caudle as the 34th chief of naval operations on August 1, 2025, according to the Senate's confirmation action on the nomination. The vote filled a position that had been vacant since February 21, 2025, when President Trump removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the 33rd chief of naval operations and the first woman to hold the post, without a public explanation. Caudle, a career submariner who previously commanded the Navy's Submarine Forces, became the first Senate-confirmed CNO since Franchetti's removal. The Senate confirmed new commanders for Africa Command and Special Operations Command in the same session.
Who is the new CNO?
Caudle is a nuclear-trained submarine officer whose career included command of a fast-attack submarine, a submarine squadron, and the Submarine Forces command before his nomination as chief of naval operations, according to his Navy biography. As CNO he serves as the Navy's senior uniformed officer, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the service's principal military adviser to the Secretary of the Navy. The position carries a four-year term, and Caudle's tenure began under the same administration that removed his predecessor, making his confirmation session one of the most closely watched Navy personnel actions of 2025.
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Why was the post vacant for months?
Franchetti's removal on February 21, 2025 left the Navy's senior military position without a Senate-confirmed occupant while the administration identified and nominated a successor. In the interim, the duties of the chief of naval operations were carried by other senior Navy admirals under acting arrangements, a practice that defense officials have said complicates long-range programmatic decisions because acting officials lack the confirmed authority of the Senate-approved officeholder. The confirmation on August 1, 2025, along with the joint-level confirmations in the same session, restored Senate-confirmed leadership across several key commands at once.
What does the CNO control?
The chief of naval operations presides over the Navy staff, organizes and recruits for the fleet, and holds statutory responsibility under Title 10 for the Navy's readiness, manning, and equipping. In practice the office shapes the annual budget submission, force structure decisions, and the assignments of flag officers across the fleet. Confirmed CNO leadership matters most in budget season: the fiscal year 2027 budget request, built during Caudle's first year in the post, was the first full request his office would assemble end to end.
What comes next
With the confirmation complete, attention shifted to the CNO's early programmatic decisions, including fleet structure guidance and testimony before the Senate and House armed services committees. The Navy's official leadership page lists the current chief of naval operations and the office's statutory responsibilities.