John Ferrari

America’s enemies are banking on disunity to prevail in congressional negotiations over defense spending. There is no greater constitutional mandate for the US Congress than providing for the common defense. National security is not a political bargaining chip, nor is it a partisan luxury. It is the foundational responsibility upon which the rest of our democracy stands.

The Navy is sitting at a unique time in its history. It recently released a detailed shipbuilding plan on May 11, 2026. Not since the announcement of the 600-Ship Navy of the 1980s has a Navy shipbuilding plan acquired such political and economic significance. The Navy has the political backing from the President to expand and fix its fleet and a request before Congress for multiple tens of billions of dollars. What could go wrong?

The firing of Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is more than a leadership change. It is a forcing function. The next Secretary of the Navy will step in at a time of unusual opportunity for the Navy and—as threats continue to proliferate, almost no margin for error. The opportunity is financial. The Department of Defense is moving tens of billions of dollars into autonomy, artificial intelligence, and unmanned systems. The constraint is primarily operational.