United states secretary of the navy

On 22 September 2026, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro addressed the National Press Club to detail the Department of the Navy’s strategic roadmap for the upcoming fiscal year. Emphasizing the necessity of maintaining maritime superiority in the Indo-Pacific, Del Toro highlighted the accelerated integration of unmanned surface and subsurface vessels into the fleet. He noted that the Navy is currently prioritizing the rapid deployment of autonomous systems to bolster surveillance capabilities and enhance deterrence against regional adversaries. The Secretary also addressed ongoing challenges within the domestic shipbuilding industrial base, announcing new public-private partnerships aimed at streamlining maintenance schedules and increasing the throughput of attack submarine repairs. Del Toro reaffirmed his commitment to workforce development, stressing that the technological edge of the United States relies heavily on retaining skilled personnel in both civilian and uniformed sectors. The address underscored a shift toward distributed maritime operations, signaling a long-term transition in how the Navy intends to project power and secure global trade routes amidst evolving geopolitical tensions.