Navy Taps Rucker to Lead Maritime Acquisition Efforts

“President [Donald] Trump has given me a clear mandate: build the Golden Fleet,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a Navy statement, introducing Rear Adm. Jonathan Rucker as the service’s new Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) Maritime.

Hung Cao’s stated mission and the administration’s language

Acting Secretary Cao framed the appointment around a singular objective: accelerating U.S. shipbuilding. In the Navy statement he said, “Admiral Rucker is the right leader at the right time to bring accountability to and accelerate our American shipbuilding system,” tying Rucker’s selection explicitly to a push the statement described as building a “Golden Fleet.”

Rucker named to lead PAE Maritime

The Navy announced that Rear Adm. Jonathan Rucker will lead Portfolio Acquisition Executive Maritime, the office charged with managing the service’s surface ship acquisition efforts “across the shipbuilding enterprise.” Rucker’s own comment in the announcement echoed the administration’s urgency: “We owe it to our Sailors and Marines to deliver the ships they need at speed with capability and quality to ensure they maintain our competitive advantage,” he said. “I am eager to build the Fleet America needs now.”

What PAE Maritime is responsible for

PAE Maritime is one of five PAE organizations the Navy created in March as part of a broader acquisition reform initiative across the services. The office oversees acquisition programs for the entire surface fleet, explicitly including carriers, combatants and auxiliary vessels.

• Carriers
• Combatants
• Auxiliary vessels

A notable program: the Medium Landing Ship contract with Hanwha Defense USA

The announcement highlighted work already underway under PAE Maritime’s purview. The Navy’s Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program last week awarded Hanwha Defense USA a contract to construct a new vessel in a $269 million deal — a specific program and dollar figure the new PAE Maritime will oversee as part of the surface ship portfolio.

Rucker’s recent assignments and the leadership transition

Before the appointment, Rucker served as a director of design and construction for Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager (DRPM) Submarines beginning in April. Prior to that assignment, he was Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Attack Submarines, according to the announcement. He succeeds Chris Miller, who served as the inaugural PAE Maritime chief. The Navy statement notes that on Oct. 13 Acting Secretary Cao formally appointed Miller to serve concurrently as PAE and DRPM for Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS).

What this means for Sailors and Marines, shipbuilders, and acquisition leaders

• Sailors and Marines: The leadership change is presented in the Navy’s own statement as intended to speed delivery of ships “with capability and quality,” a promise Rucker reiterated directly.
• Shipbuilders and defense contractors: The LSM award to Hanwha Defense USA and Cao’s emphasis on accelerating the American shipbuilding system signal attention to program execution and contract awards within the surface enterprise.
• Acquisition leaders and program offices: The creation of five PAE organizations in March and Rucker’s move from DRPM Submarines into PAE Maritime reflect continuing organizational realignment intended to concentrate responsibility for surface ship acquisition under a dedicated executive office.

Rucker steps into an office the Navy created earlier this year to centralize responsibility for the surface fleet’s procurement and to press programs toward faster delivery. The immediate, concrete item under his portfolio is the recently awarded $269 million Medium Landing Ship contract to Hanwha Defense USA; beyond that, the statements from Cao and Rucker make clear the administration and the Navy expect a frontline role for PAE Maritime in reshaping how carriers, combatants and auxiliaries move from design to fleet service.

Original reporting: https://breakingdefense.com/2026/11/navy-appoints-rucker-as-new-pae-maritime-lead/