Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has recommended that Adm. Samuel Paparo become the next chief of naval operations, passing over a female officer thought by many to have been the top contender for the role, multiple outlets have reported.
The Pentagon sent Paparo’s nomination to become the Navy’s highest-ranking officer to the White House roughly a week ago, though President Biden has not yet approved it, NBC News first reported Monday.
The choice was a surprise as the Navy’s No. 2 officer, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who has been vice chief of naval operations since last fall, had been considered the front-runner for the top position.
Should she have been chosen and confirmed by the Senate, Franchetti would have been the first woman to be chief of naval operations as well as the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The White House and Pentagon declined to comment.
“This is a presidential decision,” Navy spokesperson Rear Adm. Ryan Perry told multiple outlets. “The United States Navy has several highly qualified senior leaders, and it would be inappropriate to speculate which leader the president will nominate to serve as the next chief of naval operations.”
If nominated and confirmed, Paparo would replace current Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, whose four-year term is over this fall.
Paparo, the commander of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet since May 2021, has spent the past two years focused on confronting Chinese aggression in the Asia-Pacific.
He was expected to become the next head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, though the command’s current leader, Adm. John Aquilino, pressed Austin to recommend Paparo for the Navy’s No. 1 officer job for his China expertise, Politico reported.
Should he become chief of naval operations, Paparo would be in charge of making sure Navy sailors and aviators are trained, equipped and ready to fight, rather than making operational decisions.
A career naval aviator who has flown F-14, F-15 and F/A-18 aircraft, Paparo has also commanded in the Middle East and deployed multiple times to Saudi Arabia and Iceland.
Franchetti, meanwhile, has commanded U.S. Naval Forces Korea as well as two strike groups in the Pacific — Carrier Strike Group 9 and Carrier Strike Group 15. She’s also served as commander of U.S. 6th Fleet, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO in Europe and held various positions in the Pentagon.