us defense nominee

Robert Work, President Barack Obama’s nominee for deputy secretary.

LCS Supporter in the past, would appear to be more in Austal's interests than Fox who has implied a negative position on the ships.

Work, who was an active supporter of the Littoral Combat Ship when he was Navy undersecretary, faces a nomination hearing by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 13.

Work is a former artillery officer and spent 27 years in the Marine Corps. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1974 and retired at the rank of colonel.

Work is currently the chief Executive Officer at the Center for a New American Security, an influential think tank in Washington with close ties to the Obama administration. He served on Obama’s DOD transition team after the 2008 presidential election, focusing on naval affairs, defense policy, acquisitions and budget issues in that role, according to his CNAS profile.

Handling budget challenges and acquisition decisions at a time of fiscal austerity will be one of Work’s most critical responsibilities if he gets the job, and his background dealing with these issues likely played a key role in his nomination. Acting Deputy Secretary Christine Fox was appointed to the position last year because of her budget expertise, according to Hagel.

Work’s naval background and familiarity with Air-Sea Battle operational concepts are especially relevant as the Pentagon executes a rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific, where the Chinese military’s emerging anti-access capabilities could make it difficult for the U.S. to operate in the region. He studied these issues as the Navy’s No. 2 and as an analyst for the Center for Strategic and Budget Assessments, an independent research institute.

Work holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Illinois, a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California, a Master of Science in Space System Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, according to his CNAS profile.

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing Feb. 13 to consider his nomination. If he is confirmed by the Senate, he will take over for Fox, who has been serving as the acting deputy secretary since December.

Cant see whether his nomination was dealt with by the committee, although it was only a few days ago, scheduled